is this what millennial looks like?

I’m creating a tumblr.  What are you doing?

Obama’s one of us (sorry Baby Boomers)

I was fascinated by this article on the Millenial Nature of Obama’s message in Newsweek. Written by a member of my generation, Andrew Romano points out the diversity, the optimism and the sense of community inherent in Obama’s campaign. He speaks to the generational divide between the Democratic candidates and why he believes Obama will engage the youth vote in ways we’ve yet to see. Definitely worth the full read.

“Obama’s message first struck me as essentially millennial three days after the Iowa victory party, on an unseasonably balmy Sunday in Manchester, N.H. When I arrived at 9 a.m. for a rally at the historic Palace Theatre, I found a line of anxious supporters stretching around the block. Hundreds never got seats. At the time, Obama led by at least 10 points in the New Hampshire polls, and when he swept onstage, the combination of rapturous applause and U2’s “City of Blinding Lights” made the moment seem cinematically inspiring. It appeared obvious—at least to someone covering his first presidential election—that the Illinois senator was destined to repeat his Iowa rout. First, Obama thanked Kimberley, the young volunteer (and daughter of a Congolese immigrant) who introduced him. “Hope is an idea, it’s a feeling, a belief, a revolution, a role, a possibility,” she’d said. Then he gave a shout-out to regional field director Jack Shapiro, one of “the young people who are pouring their hearts and souls into this campaign.” Finally, Obama gave a speech brimming with pure millennial uplift. “It’s time for us to put aside the partisan food-fighting,” he said. “If you know what you stand for, if you know what you believe in, if you know who you’re fighting for, then you can afford to reach out to those who don’t agree with you on everything. We can create the kind of working majority that we haven’t seen in this country for a long, long time. If I’ve got the American people behind me, I fear no man. Nobody can stop us. We can do everything that we want to get done.”

I’ve already stated my opinion on this arena. But at the risk of being repetitive I would say that for the first time in my life, my friends and colleagues are excited about politics. Interested in the issues. Having relevant spirited debates on everything from the Stimulus package to Universal Health Care. For me, I need no other proof of the change Obama can bring. Now we just have to influence or parents and grandparents… oh yeah and those super delegates.

Social Networking and Politics

Is it Obama’s Facebook Page

I have endorsed Obama in a truly millenial way. I have become a fan of his facebook page. I have embedded his videos on my personal profile. I have donated to his campaign after receiving an email urging me to help him reach his goal of 500,000 contributors before March 4th. But is that why I voted for him in the NY primary? NO.

Joe Marchese gets it right in his article in MediaPost below… sure, social media has become the media of choice for the millenial generation but it’s not just the existance of that media that matters - it’s the message. Obama’s message of Hope, his desire to take action and augment our current society, to band together to create change is inherently millenials and viral.

“Another fact cited is that all the candidates have a MySpace/Facebook page. Social media’s power is in people-to-people communication, not politician-to-people communication. The text, images and videos on a candidate’s MySpace page likely sound similar to what would have been available on his or her Web site (perhaps with a little more focus on the age demo), and it’s likely the same thing the candidate says to a crowd at a college. Creating a social networking page does not magically “plug” a candidate into the young. It simply enables people to share what the candidate says. What the candidate says is still what matters.”

The Social Media Mirror - Joe Marchese

It’s what I’d tell marketers who would come to Deep Focus with an RFP that said solely - we want to create a viral sensation. Well, ok but about what? You can’t just create a youtube video and a myspace and facebook campaign and call it a viral campaign. You have to craft a meaningful or comical message that inspires people to share.