Looking back on the Presidential campaign I found one article that really bugged me. Maybe it bugged me so much because the article failed to understand or even receive the value of having the right publicity exposure.
My beef is with an article titled, “Why Oprah Won’t Help Obama” written in the TIME by Mark Halperin.
What makes me the most upset is that Halperin missed the value of how heavily the right media exposure resources can influence consumers. In this stake it was an election that encouraged people to vote.
He cites:
“To win the Democratic nomination for President, Barack Obama still needs the same thing he has needed all along — for voters to see him as ready to be commander in chief by January 2009. So now the question is: Will appearing at weekend campaign rallies with Oprah Winfrey help him achieve that goal?
Mark me down as more than a bit skeptical.
Winfrey’s endorsement — and her announcement that she will appear with Obama at campaign events in Iowa, South Carolina, and New Hampshire on December 8 and 9 — helps bring the following four things to Obama: campaign cash, celebrity, excitement and big crowds.
The four things that Obama has on his own in great abundance — without Winfrey’s help — are campaign cash, celebrity, excitement and big crowds.”
To me a publicity campaign is designed to find the right media sources to reach the right target audiences. In Obama case it worked! It really worked.
This same publicity practices used by President elect Obama can be used for products and services, books and promotions, celebrities and brands, nonprofits and faith organizations, etc.
True, not everyone knows Oprah firsthand. But creating publicity exposure hitting on the right target audiences can sure help Oprah find you too.