Online Public Relations Thoughts

If accurate, this story is a clinic in targeting the right publics at the right time. Barack Obama might draw the crowds but Hilary Clinton appears to be getting the votes. This is something that is easy to forget in PR. Even in broad public efforts, such as campaigning, there are only certain groups one must reach at times. In presidential primaries, the essential voters are only those in key states who are likely to vote, and they are a minority of the population. With the movement of primaries earlier next year, the equation of which voters to reach is more complex, but it is certainly not anyone in my state. The nomination process will be decided before we get to vote in New Jersey. So, while we read in New Jersey about the presidential campaign, we don't see it except in TV news and laughable "debates" that cluster candidates on stages where they vent rhetoric rather than engage on issues.

Political campaigners have mastered the craft of targeting, but apparently some use it better than others.