US Election wrap up (I promise, last post)
Well the results are in. I have to say that Obama’s acceptance speech was very inspiring. He went well beyond “good positioning”, and while listening I felt humbled about my posts earlier that dared to critique his positioning.
Here’s why:
Part 1: Inspiration. So often as a marketer, product manager, consultant, or worker of any sort, it feels as though we’re putting the best lipstick we can on the product we’re working on. But how inspiring are we? How inspired are we? What is the last product you worked on that actually inspired you?
What Obama did on Tuesday night was to inspire people; it was almost non-partisan. I heard so many people saying that they woke up the next day feeling brighter, more optimistic. Of course reality will be interesting to track, and the road ahead is not an easy one, but I got the feeling that this guy has what it takes to really lead.
Part 2: The “new rules”: Good positioning is, of course, extremely important. Without your positioning straight, it’s hard to do anything well. But Obama’s campaign went well beyond good positioning, and leveraged some very powerful marketing tools. Seth Godin’s blog article on election day was the best explanation I’ve read.
My original post referred mostly to the debates, which I still believe were poorly executed on both sides. Obama’s oratory, though, is second to none.
Let’s hope his leadership can measure up!
Related posts:
Here’s an interesting point to consider: the game changed at about 11pm EST on Tuesday evening. The new game is for Obama to build a base of support in Congress so that he can get his promises implemented. The rules for this new game are completely different from those that apply to getting elected.
We often see the same thing in Product Management. When next year’s initiatives are up for funding, there is one set of rules that apply. Once the selections have been made, the rules change and it’s time to do your best to get support for your proposal (if it won)…!
- Dr. Jim Anderson
The Accidental PM Blog
“Learn How Product Managers Can Be Successful And Get The Respect That They Deserve”
Alan, I’ve enjoyed reading your thoughts about the US elections; you have compelling insights. I couldn’t agree more with your last comment: “Let’s hope his leadership can measure up!!!!” -Michael
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