The $6 Million+ Webcast!

It’s a marriage of 2007 and 2008.

This last year, we highlighted a trend we termed “Our Space.com” – the growing surge of online communities and connections.

For 2008, we highlight a trend we term “The Persona of Politics” – the relationships of personality and platform and how politics influence brands.

One of the headlines in this morning’s Atlanta Journal Constitution (“AJC”) is “Ron Paul’s Followers Aim To Stun The Pundits.” The article showcases that “no matter the evidence…Paul’s legion of supporters believe loudly that their man will win the GOP nomination in 2008.”

The article notes two key points:
• The bulk of the Ron Paul supporters are Millenniums in their late teens through mid-20’s
• Ron Paul raised more than $6 million dollars in a one-day event staged on the Internet

Why are these two points important?

First… The Millenniums are coming and coming on strong!

The article cites Jessica Aday, an 24 year old Millennium who spent the better part of this past holiday weekend holding up a sign along one of the major roadways coming into Atlanta. She also wore a T-Shirt that said “This Redhead is Voting for Ron Paul.”

She finds Ron Paul to be “a good man, very honest and humble.”

Justin Stout, also age 24, joined up with Jessica and other Paul supporters. He may have captured it best: “We know we have to do this because the media doesn’t seem to be giving us attention.”

Second… The Internet is where they gather.

it is no longer “birds of a feather, flock together”, but “birds of a feather, LinkedIn together.” (“LinkedIn” is both noun and verb!)

As the article notes, Ron Paul’s campaign is being fueled by “the more than 65,000 videos supporters have uploaded to YouTube and the more than 50,000 “friends” Paul has on Facebook.”

65,000+ videos!

That is a bigger political video voice than all of the other GOP candidates combined!

One of the Ron Paul videos posted on YouTube titled “Stop Dreaming” posts 1,105,044 viewers. That is more viewers than any other GOP posting.

As of this morning 12/26/07, Ron Paul is posting 55,728 Facebook friends and no other Republican can even come close:
• Mitt Romney posts 22,346
• Mike Huckabee posts 20,197
• Fred Thompson posts 17,556
• John McCain posts 15,091
• Rudy Giuliani doesn’t even have a page on Facebook!

Hillary claims 54,440 and she’s been in the news much longer.

The Millenniums do not place much trust in the conventional governmental policies nor business practices of the past. They feel “disenfranchised” from the political, brand marketing and media channels of the present. They believe strongly that to succeed today, they have to take action on their own.

This isn’t just how they feel about the political candidates. Its how they feel about many of the brands that claim to be icons of the American marketplace.

Where is your marketing and brand in their mindset?

When was the last time you hit YouTube?