The campaign of Bill Clinton in 1992

Résumé du document

The 1992 presidential election was special because it used the most sophisticated marketing techniques found in the commercial marketplace. Techniques used to market products to consumers were used to market the candidates to voters because of competitive pressure. It was really a new era in politics in 1992, with candidates appearing on late-night television shows dominated by celebrities; technological advances which were used for direct marketing, database marketing, polling, fund-raising and teleconferencing; the appearance of focus groups; and the growing importance of consultants. What really distinguished this campaign from the others was the talent and great skillfulness with which the Clinton organization was able to follow the marketing concept. The Clinton campaign staff understood that people wanted change and were concerned about the economy.

Extraits

[...] It created an image of him as a very composed leader. Then, his positions on the issues and particularly his concern with the economy became real strengths. As the campaign moved into the general election stage, Clinton's message of change in the economy clearly became the winning theme. According to David Wilhelm, Clinton's campaign manager, the targeting strategy that won the election for Clinton was based on the division of the country into three target groups of states: the “top-end states”, the “play hard states”, and the challenge states”. [...]

[...] Moreover, the convention was used to dispel any negative impressions that voters had about Clinton's character. These negative characterizations were effectively dispersed by having an emotionally charged speech made of defining who Clinton was and where he came from. Many voters did not know, for instance, that he was a fatherless child and lived with an alcoholic stepfather. Throughout the Convention, Clinton continued to talk about the middle class and the need to rescue ordinary people from the damage of the economy. [...]

[...] Since the market broadens at the convention stage, Clinton's task here was not only to appeal to loyal Democratic voters but also to reach out to Republican voters. To achieve this goal, Clinton asked Al Gore to be his running mate. This choice won immediately support from everyone. Unusually, geographical diversity did not play a role in deciding who to pick for a running mate. The Clinton/Gore ticket was comprised of the youngest candidates to run for the White House in history. The youth of the two candidates reinforced their position during this stage as a choice for change from the old ways of running the country. [...]

[...] The third component in the model is “emotional value”. The candidate gives emphasis to his personality traits to strengthen an image in the voter's mind and makes an emotional connection with him. Thus, Clinton presented himself as a tenacious governor who cares about the problems of people. By surrounding themselves with average voters while on their bus trips in small American towns, Clinton and Gore gave images of themselves as ordinary people. The fourth component in the model is “conditional value”. [...]

[...] Thus, two of the most commonly used tools in 1992 were focus groups and polls. As a whole, one of the more important roles played by the consultants in the 1992 campaign consisted in changing the focus of Clinton's news coverage. This accomplishment is credited to Betsey Wright, who was responsible for fighting back against the reporters who diffused negative information about Clinton's background. Tactics were crucial to the success of the Clinton organization, and Clinton himself understood what he had to do to win. [...]