Obama Spends Big Bucks for Online Advertising

In an effort to triumph the political battleground, Barack Obama has spent a record breaking amount on online advertising. Obama spent spent nearly $19 million since the launch of his presidential campaign in 2011 through March 2012 (CNN). Unofficial Republican nominee Mitt Romney and Obama's opponent has only spent a little over $5 million in the same time (ClickZ). In fact, Obama has spent twice as much as the Republican National Committee and all of the GOP presidential hopefuls combined (ClickZ).

Experts applaud Obama's online presence for targeting specific voters. Furthermore, online advertising is one of the best ways to gauge level of success by tabulating number of hits and duration of time spent on a specific ad. Digital advertising will allow Obama to direct his message to specific groups, such as Hispanics and Catholics, and swing states that have historically swayed between parties.

One of Obama's current (and most creative) digital campaigns is his "Pet Lovers for Obama" ad and associated Facebook page. Users can go like the page and submit photos of their beloved critters rocking Obama collars and gear. As of June, the page has over 33,000 likes and countless photo uploads and comments. Obama's marketing strategists garner quintessential user interaction with the people through this digital media. Further, Obama strikes an emotional connection with voters by sharing his love for his pet as the same love you have for yours.

Both presidential candidates use television and print advertisements as well, but as the world becomes ever so virtual, so does the political arena. Watch out for more digital marketing as the presidential race begins to heat up in the upcoming months!

To learn more about the candidate's use of digital advertising and overall marketing specifics, please
go to: CNN Obama outspends Romney on online ads