Obama’s email efforts easily outpacing McCain’s
Dante Chinni
Posted: 06.27.2008 / 6:34 AM EDT
Since June 1, both Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain have been busy on the Web, e-mailing their supporters at a clip of one or more every other day.
But a look at these e-communications reveals stark differences in the sophistication of Senator Obama’s and Senator McCain’s electronic outreach and hints at broader trends in the campaigns. Put simply, at the moment the Obama team isn’t just winning the electronic battle, it seems to be playing a whole different game.
To see what kinds of messages the campaigns are sending and to whom, Patchwork Nation has created e-mail accounts for pseudovoters in each of our 11 representative communities and signed up with the McCain and Obama websites. During the nomination season, we noted that they tailored messages to our pseudo-addressees based largely on whether the voter was located in the upcoming primary state.
But now, both online campaigns are focused on the general election, with what seem to be contrasting levels of success.
The messages from “Barack,” as Obama calls himself online, are increasingly targeted, trying to strike a chord with voters on the issues that matter to them. In the last set of e-mails we examined from the Obama camp, one in particular linked to a survey asking all sorts of marketing-like questions, such as “How often do you go to church?” and “What issues are of greatest concern to you?”
His campaign is putting the answers to those surveys to work.
Our Lincoln City, Ore., supporter, for instance, told the Obama campaign that the environment is a big issue for her, as it is for many in the city. Lo and behold, in June she received an Obama e-mail offering her a 100 percent organic cotton T-shirt picturing a tree sprouting out of the Obama campaign logo, for a donation of $30 or more. “Support the environment and our campaign with this high-quality, earth-friendly T-shirt,” the e-mail read.
Our supporter in Ann Arbor, Mich., also an environmental enthusiast, received the same T-shirt e-mail, along with one about how Obama is “taking a stand on civil liberties” – which we said was another big issue for him.
The e-mail boxes we created for Baton Rouge, La., and Los Alamos, N.M., both of whom we said belonged to people upset with how Washington works, recently received a message in their in-boxes talking about how Obama is cosponsoring a “lobbyist reform bill.” The bill, the e-mail said, would “close a loophole that allows lobbyists to hide their dealings with foreign businesses and governments.”
These messages didn’t conflict with one another. Obama isn’t saying opposing things to different people. But the e-mails framed and marketed Obama in different ways for different types of voters: I’m green, like you. I’m outraged about Guantánamo, like you. I hate the way Washington works, like you.
Beyond the e-mails targeted to specific voter types, the most pinpointed effort from the Obama team is probably an e-mail that just came to our recipient to Sioux Center, Iowa. It offers Iowa supporters a way to “volunteer in a community affected by flooding” tomorrow, Saturday, June 28.
It gives supporters nine locations around Iowa where they can join the volunteer effort, as well as links to RSVP. Imagine, if you will, the positive feelings and coverage that might be generated from carloads of Iowans, decked out in Obama T-shirts and hats, marching into Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and Sioux City to distribute water and help build homes.
Earlier this week a McCain staffer created chuckles in the Web community when, at the Personal Democracy Forum in New York City, he told a crowd that McCain is “aware of the Internet.” The comment was taken out of context, but it’s true that McCain’s team has not demonstrated the same ability as Obama’s to target messages to supporters, at least not so far.
For most of our e-mail accounts, the messages from the McCain campaign were uniform. There is a regular “McCain Update” that informs supporters of the candidate’s positions, and there are location-specific e-mails when the senator is going to be in town. But there’s nothing on the level of the Obama team’s approach.
The only organizational e-mail that was targeted to a certain group of people was one from McCain’s Iowa campaign chairman asking people to get involved.
What’s more, the McCain e-mails convey at least the hint of a campaign that feels it needs help and organization. One e-mail that went to supporters in Hopkinsville, Ky., and Lincoln City, Ore., asked, “Can you put your life on hold for a few months to make history?” The e-mail was looking for “full-time volunteers” to “relocate to another part of the country.”
Why those two places in particular got those messages is hard to discern. It may be that the McCain campaign feels those states are already in his or Obama’s column and he wants reinforcements elsewhere. Regardless, one would imagine that kind of move is a tall order for most people.
Finally, McCain’s e-mails contained one particularly distinct message. The Sunday after NBC “Meet the Press” host Tim Russert died, McCain sent an e-mail to all our addresses with a link to a video of McCain offering a heartfelt remembrance of Mr. Russert.
In the message, McCain noted he had been on the show 52 times. The e-mail served to remind supporters of what is probably his greatest edge in the campaign, experience. But in a “change election” it also may have reminded them of his Washington insider status.
June 27th, 2008 at 7:54 am EDT
“Since June 1, both Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain have been busy on the Web, e-mailing their supporters at a clip of one or more every other day.”
In a way, this is really just a nitpick. You’re confusing your terms and technologies. The Web isn’t used (generally) for email. The candidates have been busy on the Internet emailing supporters, and using their web sites for taking positions and collecting donations.
In a grander scope, failing to clearly understand the technology is one reason why McCain struggles to reach the Gen X/Y/Millenials who eat, sleep, and breath social and technical networking. The distinction is perhaps semantically unimportant to the meaning of the message, but can be seen as an indicator of a lack of relevance or connection to current affairs.
Blurring the lines moves you a teeny bit closer to Ted Stevens that you’d probably want.
June 27th, 2008 at 7:54 am EDT
Obama’s campaign uses a server you can’t bounce their mail back to.
Annoys the **** out of me. I asked them not to e-mail me but they just keep sending their campaign announcements, totally ignoring me.
Oh well, if this would help put the Republican element in its place this November I’ll put up with the annoyance for a while
June 27th, 2008 at 8:11 am EDT
The effort reflects the candidate. Obama carries a laptop, uses the Internet personally on a daily basis and understands its power. McCain, though he has an idea, isn’t quite knowledgeable enough to take his Internet effort to the next level.
McCain has plenty of Washington experience, but one might argue that this experience both political and technological are becoming obsolete.
Doug
June 27th, 2008 at 8:16 am EDT
Tom,
True, the email isn’t “the Web” but it is clearly part of the campaigns’ Web strategies and many emails link to real Web pages the campaigns have posted — like the ones linked to in this story.
Just trying to find a way to not repeat “email” a million times in the same story.
Thanks for reading and posting though.
-Dante
June 27th, 2008 at 8:18 am EDT
Senator McCain’s noting his number of appearances on Tim Russert’s show is dangerously close to exploiting a tragic incident for his own gain. When Senator Obama appeared before the cameras at a sandbagging location in Quincy, Illinois there was no campaign rhetoric, just a sincere thank you for the participants exhibiting what America’s true strength is.
June 27th, 2008 at 8:23 am EDT
For VMR - I bet they’re not ignoring you–they probably don’t know that you’ve asked them to stop the emails.
Have you tried the link in the tiny font size at the bottom of Obama emails, “To unsubscribe, go to: http://my.barackobama.com/unsubscribe“?
[Admin: Readers don't think this comment adds to the discussion.]
June 27th, 2008 at 8:31 am EDT
I’m completely impressed in any candidate who embraces the nation as a whole at all levels and really cares about what everyone wants. To me, that’s a leader I can believe in.
I don’t really think that I can put my faith into a candidate who’s got a phone-book sized medical history.
June 27th, 2008 at 8:39 am EDT
Dante, Tom’s point is that the web is not the internet. The web and email both operate via the internet. So it’s not a “web strategy”. Think “emails and web pages, links, and videos are part of their internet strategy”.
June 27th, 2008 at 8:58 am EDT
Leave Dante alone. We get his point and it is well made. Obama employed the best of the the best for his “internet” strategy. His email blasts are precise. His website is information rich and he uses technology to its utmost capacity. He is hitting virtually every voter sweetspot with his navigation and linking options and the design alone is worthy of an award in Communication Arts Interactive Design Competition. His internet strategy helps support the fact that Obama will surround himself with people that can really create change. Mix in his common sense and we may actually get this country out of the toilet over the next eight years.
BTW, Rex Soards, you really should only comment on the topic of the blog, go to FOX News is you want to rant about Obama.
June 27th, 2008 at 9:11 am EDT
Rex - a point of clarity for you: the “RIGHT to LIFE, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is in the Declaration of Independence, not the constitution. The only place the Constitution talks about life is in “deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law” mentioned in both the 5th and 14th amendments. The Constitution does not even mention happiness.
June 27th, 2008 at 9:16 am EDT
I have been a McCain supporter who receives their email blasts. They’re email and online efforts are very frustrating. As you say, the emails have zero targeting. Therefore, most not only don’t interest me, they point out issues where I don’t particularly agree with McCain.
Here, is the starkest contrast. I have sent short but thoughtful emails to their “personal” email addresses, such as john@mccain.com. There is not even an auto reply sent. No response. In contrast, my Aunt, who is a lifelong Democrat, sent an email to the Obama campaign, very upset about a particular position of his. She soon received a personal email from an individual in his campaign who was deeply involved in that area.
The Obama insider’s email contained some boiler-plate text, but was personally written to my Aunt about her email. She exchanged a couple of more emails with the person and he immediately sent a lengthy and thoughtful reply. My Aunt sent out the email chain to all her family and friends who shared her concerns about the same issues. Not sure that anyone became completely convinced for Obama, but everyone was very impressed and felt much better.
June 27th, 2008 at 9:25 am EDT
” The e-mail was looking for “full-time volunteers” to “relocate to another part of the country.”
Why those two places in particular got those messages is hard to discern. It may be that the McCain campaign feels those states are already in his or Obama’s column and he wants reinforcements elsewhere. Regardless, one would imagine that kind of move is a tall order for most people.”
It may be a tall order but I know of Obama supporters who are doing this.
June 27th, 2008 at 9:28 am EDT
Interesting article, too bad some troll (Rex Soards) couldn’t resist putting an unintelligent bunch of lies under the ruse of being a commenter. Here’s what I have to say to Rex and anyone else who wants to post similar garbage:
(1) Obama is a Christian man, do you really thing he wants abortions doled out to every childbearing woman? Give me a break! The Constitution does indeed protect life, but the real debate is when does life begin. For the Catholics and Jews, their churches decreed over 100 years ago that it is at the moment in the pregnancy when the baby can be felt moving inside the woman. All of the Christians and Atheists I’ve spoken to agree with that point of view, and it turns out that 99+% of abortions happen within that timeframe, so being all hung up on abortion is just silly. And that means that 99% are being done within the Constitutional timeframe. The remaining <1% are for medically necessary situations only, as in rape, incest, severe birth defects, not just because they felt like it.
(2) If you’ve ever been to DC at night, you’d agree that there should be a gun ban. But that’s beside the point, the constitution gives people the right to bear arms to form a militia (we used to have armories in the center of town, just in case a foreign country decided to attack again, you can see one at Williamsburg, VA), not to shoot someone on the street that gives them a bad look or hopefully take out an intruder in our home (which never happens, houses get robbed during the day). Instead the more guns that are circulating in the general population, the more guns that get stolen (during the day while we are at work) that get used for armed robberies and domestic disturbances or, even worse, get found by kids while their parents aren’t looking.
(3) He wants to reduce the taxes on the middle and lower classes and ONLY increase taxes on the super wealthy. Now, if you are super wealthy you might have a legitimate bone to pick with Obama, but I’m guessing you aren’t (based solely on your poor spelling), so you are just dead wrong on that one.
(4) The US is viewed as terrorists by many countries all over the world, should they quit talking to us? A cover your ears and go “na-na-na” approach to international affairs is pretty childish. No problems are ever solved by just ignoring them. Isn’t it obvious by now that the “just bomb them until we’re happy or they relent” approach is a waste of time and lives and money.
C’mon Rex, evolve a little bit, stop believing everything you read in those stupid republican email chains.
June 27th, 2008 at 10:02 am EDT
Jamais,
I think that you have a very good point overall with your post, the only thing that I have a problem with is number 2. There is no excuse for a child to find a gun on their own. Get a gun safe! Whenever the gun is not in your site or reach it might as well be in the safe.
For number 3 you can also probably base your assumption on the numbers. Chances are, statistically speaking, that he is not going to see his income taxed raised by a democrat.
And for number 4… The word terrorist is about as overused as the title of political strategist or analyst. Bush took North Korea off of the list of state sponsors of terrorism merely for turning over documents and demolishing a cooling tower. Neither of those thing have anything to do with North Korea’s ability or willingness to sponsor terrorism.
The last thing I want to say is, “vote Obama.” One reason I believe he is better is because he will have to work to hold the support of th American people. He has something to prove being the first black president. He can’t afford to screw it up. Contrast that with McCain who much of America, and most of the world expect to follow GOP lines on issues like the economy, the war, civil liberties, and the environment.
June 27th, 2008 at 10:07 am EDT
Thank you for the very interesting analysis of target e-marketing of both the candidates.
Most informative how Barack connects the known attitudes of people to positive actions for his campaign. In a most original way, too.
Thank you for your vision to follow both candidates in their on-line marketing efforts,
Paul
(Dutch Sailor in Cartagena de Indias).
June 27th, 2008 at 11:02 am EDT
I work in technology and can tell you that it’s really difficult to pull off what the Obama campaign has accomplished. If it were easy, the McCain campaign would simply have ripped off the best ideas and you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. If Obama brings this level of sophistication with him into office it portends well for making the federal government work better. He has promised to give us a federal Chief Technology Officer, which again shows a level of ‘getting it’ that we’re not getting from the Republican side. A lot of what Americans are unhappy about is that for the last 8 years we’ve had leadership that didn’t seem interested in or capable of governing well. Obama certainly seems best poised to change that sorry reality. Please remember that when you vote this fall.
June 27th, 2008 at 11:11 am EDT
FYI:
A former African-American TV journalist-turned-Bible teacher has produced a Christian film on black church teaching which, he says, transcends the “dig for dirt” aimed at Barack Obama’s faith. The film is pretty informative. It’s on website: www.sermononthemount-themovie.com
June 27th, 2008 at 11:37 am EDT
“McCain.com’, next time you want to revert to the McCain campaign, please use abuse@johnmccain.com or anything within the johnmccain.com domain. www.McCain.com is the site for McCain Foods (Frozen Fries etc.) and I sympathize with the webmaster of this site.
As far as this story goes, I’m getting pretty hassled by the repeated requests for money from the Obama campaign. Still, I’ll bear with it to see some change in DC.
June 27th, 2008 at 2:00 pm EDT
D. Chinni,
Looked for a way to contact you by email through this site. Please contact me at the given email address if you wish to correspond. I apologize that this post has nothing to do with the discussion.
Thanks,
Matt
June 27th, 2008 at 3:34 pm EDT
Dear American people:
There will be more wars..your jobs are not coming back. Your problems are all psychological. You know I like Green and I will drill in our continental shelves for more oil that should be available in about 10 years.
I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t have solutions, so I’ll just keep all the Bush advisors and all my lobbyist friends help me along when I am president.
Please for me, my friend?
McLame
June 27th, 2008 at 4:22 pm EDT
VMR,
Use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email. It works. Every time I make a donation, I get put on the email list, and I promptly unsubscribe.
(That’s a common place to have an unsubscribe link.)
June 27th, 2008 at 4:43 pm EDT
I must say, this discussion is a lot more interesting and balanced. Jamais, you make many good points. I’m tired of the slander and rumors about Obama that McCain supporters keep throwing for lack of anything better to do. What America and the world needs is somebody who understands that the status quo is not acceptable, that we need somebody who understands the transition stage of activism to cyber space. Obama is a great leader, he is young and thankfully free of corrupt White House politics. He takes the time to understand the people, which is more than you can say for McCain. I’m all for Obama. For Obama supporters, please visit WhyObama08.org and show your support. A small group of us are trying to help him out and it would be encouraging. Go Obama 08!
June 28th, 2008 at 3:03 am EDT
I’ve been afraid to give my e-mail address or anything else to the Obama campaign — even if its only to learn more about him — because I read in the news that lists of Obama’s supporters and their contact info had been released publicly. I work hard to keep my e-mail box free of spam and my mailbox free of junk mail, so I’m very unwilling to give that up.
I appreciate Dante’s blog post because it’s good to know that Obama’s campaign is so tech savvy and personal with voters. I hope it’s OK if I add an example that is not related to the internet: a few days ago I was driving and saw a familiar bumper sticker with unfamiliar characters on it. After a moment I realized that it was an Obama ‘08 sticker with the text in Hebrew!
Do you know if stickers like that can be created on Obama’s website? I remember that Dean had a very popular make-your-own thing on his website, back when.
I hope that Obama picks a good running mate and that they win. I’m worried, though, that the Supreme Court decision on hand guns is going to make Washington significantly less safe for Obama, McCain, the Supreme Court Justices, and so on down to ordinary folks who live, work and take the tours there. OK, now I’m really off topic! Goodnight!
June 28th, 2008 at 7:33 am EDT
McCain is a computer illitrate. What do you expect from him. He does not know how to use a computer, not to talk of using the internet or using google. Don’t you remember the blunders he made during the last weeks by seeking endorsements from controversial figures or organising fund raisings in controversial places simply because he could not get information by doing a google search? He needs Cindy to help but you know, Cindy is angry because McCain called her a T…>
Well, if you don’t know, ask McCain to tell you.
June 29th, 2008 at 9:28 am EDT
I live in canada and realize my opinion is not necessaily required. however I am on my data device. saw the discussion and couldn’t help but join in.
I am extremely disappointed by the lack of innovation in both politics as well as corporate worlds. Reading the article pleased me as we should see that kind of interaction between voters and politicians more often.
Barrack Obama is an exceptional candidate and I cannot help but admire him. Hopefully he will win the race. His stances on war, economy and what’ very interesting to me racial relations or rather unity are admirable. People are different and just because sometimes we lack understanding and other times oil are not good enough reasons to shatter their lives.
I could not believe that a messianistic maniac could win twice but third time’ a charm and hopefully mr. McBush will not be able to follow. Great job Mr. Obama keep it up!
The fact that I live in Canada and that I’M reading and am participating in this discussion is a lesson to be learned by McBush’s team. This is what happens wheb you want to focus on EXPERIENCED ESTABLISHED methods of communication. Too bad McCain never learned the uses of the internet beyond it’s archaic military applications.
June 29th, 2008 at 7:11 pm EDT
EVERYTHING OBAMA DOES IS BETTER THAN MCCAIN. OBAMA IS THE MESSIAH. AFTER THE MEDIA SUCEEDS IN GETTING HIM ELECTED, THE TRUTH WILL LIKELY ARISE. OH WHAT A STORY THAT WILL MAKE, HUH?
I hate Obama and everything he stands for. Yet, I have signed up and receive his campaign’s stupid (and pointless) emails once or twice a week. I delete them immediately. The true measure of strength in Obama’s campaign is his ability to lull everyone in the nation, including the media into a deep trance.
Please report on something that matters. Maybe the fact that Obama really is a Muslim and how about the fact that he has never produced an authentic birth certificate.
June 29th, 2008 at 11:57 pm EDT
@Aaron - sigh people like you make me
Birth Certificate: http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/birthcert
Religion: http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/christian
Thanks for playing, try another smear another day!
June 30th, 2008 at 4:34 pm EDT
Gen. Clark has got to be one of the largest *** holes alive….Obama was never in the boy scouts never mint the Military….That was a stuped thing to say..but i am glad he did say it…Now i know who to VOTE for..thanks for the help/
July 1st, 2008 at 1:15 am EDT
OBAMA PLEASE STOP BACKING OFF ON ISSUES. WHAT CLARK SAID WAS TRUE AND NO
APOLOGY IS NECESSARY! THERE’S MORE TO BEING A PRESIDENT THAN A WAR HERO
STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND TELL IT LIKE IT IS. UNDERSTAND WHAT CLARK SAID,
HE WAS RIGHT ON THE MONEY.
July 8th, 2008 at 1:55 pm EDT
[…] social networks, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project. There?s also this article that shows how much more sophisticated and outpacing the Obama team?s use of emails is […]
July 12th, 2008 at 11:05 am EDT
Dear Mr. Obama: I do hope that you will hasten the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. End of 2009 ismuch too late. With all the troubles here at home(withdrawal pains from two addictions, credit/ borrowing and petroleum dependency)we have enough troubles here in the US and we simply cannot afford(money-wise and attention wise)to the troubles in Iraq.
I have been up to now a fairly enthusiastic supporter of your candidacy but I must tell you that if you repeat whate George Romney did in 1965 then in 1968
you will lose this election like he did. He went to Vietnam and came back a strong supporter in 1965 and then in 1967 he said that when in Vietnam he was “brainwashed”, then he denounced the war. You go to Iraq and come back a war supporter or propose a delay or slowdown of American withdrawal–a prolongation of the war, you will lose my support and the multitude that supported you up to now.
Be warned! There must be a clear distinctive difference between you and your opponent on Iraq or it will be John McCain who will be taking the oath next Jan.20. Remember in 1964 Johnson promised not to send American boys to do the fighting Asian boys should be doing. Then he put 500,000 Americn boys in Vietnam. You recall what happened to his presidency. Do not betray your supporters. This is not Australia. I do not have to vote. Be careful.
I’d love to keep on supporting you but I will not tolerate any loss of trust.
If I am to see the war drag on whether it is Obama or McCain, why should I bother to vote?
July 18th, 2008 at 7:00 am EDT
[…] previous posts, Patchwork Nation has noted the Obama team’s concerted e-mail efforts. Equally obvious is how far behind the McCain camp is in the e-mail game, at least so […]
July 26th, 2008 at 6:43 am EDT
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August 19th, 2008 at 1:04 pm EDT
[…] Analysis of Obama and McCain Email Marketing Review of email marketing on Christian Science Monitor site. […]