President as a Marketer

Posted at March 10, 2009 // Advertising, Promotion, Public relations, Strategy / Tactics

President Obama and his team are proving to be great marketers yet again. And it’s probably a good thing, considering the current environment.

Obama’s latest marketing campaign is recovery.gov. In itself, the website is similar to any other corporate website: A mean of communication. A mean to show where you could find their products, in this case results of the government’s stimulus plan.

But, this administration took this one step further and well into the realm of branding. The stimulus package has its own logo, and it may appear on a school bus near you (if that school bus benefited from the stimulus package).

This is smart in that it makes the intangible tangible.

However, would this logo be a reminder of progress or a reminder of tough times?

This is the test of the President’s marketing abilities. The logo and the website are only elements of a full-blown campaign. If executed correctly, it would be powerful. If the plan lacks legs, making the intangible tangible may backfire.