The 2008 Presidential Election is coming and that means the marketing machines behind the candidates are in overdrive. Today, the Iowa Caucuses are being held. The caucuses are meant to drum up support for candidates as well as help the candidates develop their messages in front of small groups before the election kicks into high gear. The Iowa Caucuses also provide an idea of which candidates people support. 
So that leads to my first question. Are the Iowa Caucuses a meaningful political tool or a marketing tool? It seems more like a pep rally than anything else. And that leads to my next two questions. Are the Iowa Caucuses really helpful to Presidential candidates? Do the Iowa Caucuses significantly impact the election?
It seems to me that some work gets done at the Iowa Caucuses, but it's more of a PR mechanism than anything else giving candidates yet another opportunity to get their messages out to anyone who will listen. But is it an effective marketing tool?
Personally, I never pay attention to the caucuses. The activities at the caucuses have no influence on my voting decision. Are there people out there who pay close attention to the caucuses and base their votes on them? I wonder. As a marketer, it seems like there are so many other ways to more effectively communicate the candidates' messages and drum up publicity. How about donating all the money that pays for the caucuses to a worthy cause? I guess I'm just talking crazy now.
What do you think? Are the caucuses useful or have they grown to be a somewhat irrelavent publicity stunt?
I definitely agree that there is too much hype around the Iowa Caucus. You might find this article interesting.
Posted by: Kimberlee Morrison | January 8, 2008 3:44 PM | Permalink to Comment