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The 2008 presidential candidates are taking a page out of the marketing book in trying to win voters. They are employing a strategy, called microtargeting, that is usually reserved for consumer profiling and customer segmentation. The process involves finding out which factors, values, and behaviors are common to groups of consumers (or voters) and using this information reach out to the undecided in upcoming elections. While the practice is common in the business world, microtargeting is lately being applied to politics, notably by Barack Obama’s campaign. Will microtargeting give candidates the edge they need to win over the country’s finicky voters?

Microtargeting is made possible by huge databases of consumer information, like those used by major corporations to track consumer spending and retail habits. Analysts look at the habits of groups to see where they might overlap with other groups. For example, let’s say that people who attend professional basketball games might also be likely to drink Pepsi (not necessarily so, just a random example). Marketers could then use this information to place Pepsi advertising at NBA stadiums or during March Madness broadcasts. Politicians can use similar data points to target undecided voters with messages that appeal directly to them. For example, if consumer surveys were to show that viewers of America’s Next Top Model were strongly right-leaning (again, random example) Republican politicians might have better luck with their advertising dollars on that station.

The process of microtargeting is painstaking, and it is usually carried out by powerful Washington organizations or by campaign volunteers. Voter surveys help not only identify which voters are possible supporters, but also helps candidates decide which of their messages is the most likely to mobilize them come election day. If a survey reveals that residents in a certain district are losing jobs due to employers outsourcing jobs overseas, political candidates can craft messages of reassurance and promise to address the issue if elected. This specific message, aimed at specific people, has the potential to motivate voters who might otherwise stay home.

One powerful microtargeting firm in Washington is TargetPoint Consultants. As their website puts it, “Our MicroTargeting is a virtual search and rescue mission, connecting campaigns and corporations with the voters and customers they need.” They use not only tailor-made surveys to gather information, but they also draw upon existing databases of consumer information available online and through marketers. These microtargeting agencies use everything from credit scores, real estate records, web surfing habits, and magazine subscriptions to reach voters who might identify with their candidate. Some of the information they’ve unearthed is surprisingly detailed. For example, as the Washington Post reported during the Bush/Kerry contest in 2004, drinkers of Coors and bourbon tend to vote Republican, while those who consume brandy and cognac lean towards the Democratic party. This kind of data gives a much more complete picture of potential customers and voters based on more than simply geography and socio-economics.

Democratic candidate Barack Obama has tapped the expertise of Strategic Telemetry, a microtargeting firm which worked with the Kerry campaign previously. Their website advises candidates to, “Focus dollars and time spent on persuasion phones, mail, door-knocking, radio and television on the voters most likely to be undecided.” This gives candidates not only the edge needed to reach those all important undecided voters, but also helps control campaign spending by using the resources where they can accomplish the most. Obama has been notably reaching out to young voters, who are historically unlikely to turn out at all. Many analysts have attributed his success to his online presence at sites like Facebook and MySpace, where young, Democratic voters are active and receptive.

While customer segmentation has been around for years in marketing circles, this type of profiling is beginning to take a strong hold in political circles. Strategists are taking lessons from the business world and applying them to the voting public, and it seems to be paying off for many candidates. Now that candidates are reaching out to voters with personal, specific messages, will they also begin keeping those targeted campaign promises? Here’s hoping (with a glass of bourbon in one hand and cognac in the other) that their targeted messages are more than just a marketing strategy.

Thursday, April 17th, 2008 You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

By Haley January Eckels