Thursday, January 28 2010

AN audience of over 100 local business and media executives recently attended a seminar facilitated by Michael Organ and Andrew Bleeker, the directors of the historically successful Internet Advertising campaign for the Obama 2008 US Presidential election,

Themed “The Power of New Media,” the seminar which was held at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of- Spain last Tuesday, also became the platform to launch the regional offices of the internet ad agency which handled the Obama campaign, ASGK. The resource, which is to be known as Ross/ASGK, arises out of a creative partnership between the Washington firm and that of local ad agency, Ross Advertising. Following a visit to Ross Advertising last year by one of ASGK’s Managing Partners, Eric Sedler and the firm’s Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Terrie Pickerill, the agreement on the partnership was made. Ross Advertising is also well known for many regional public image strategies and award winning advertising campaigns.

The high powered business audience was addressed by ASGK Managing Director and Chief Operations Officer, Terrie Pickerill along with CEO/Creative Director of Ross Advertising, Ernie Ross and Senior Partner/Creative Director at Ross, Chester Parris.

During the interactive seminar, ASGK’s Michael Organ held the audience captive as he recounted the techniques and strategies deployed by the Obama campaign team using the internet. At one point, to dramatise his message Michael Organ went down on one knee and asked one of the participants, “will you marry me?” Upon receiving a flat rejection he then asked her if she would be willing to share a cup of coffee with him, to which the participant agreed. Organ used the piece of live interactive drama to convey the point that people were not asked upfront to donate to the Obama campaign. Why would anyone who didn’t know you well just accept your proposal? he asked the local gathering. Organ explained that the millions who enjoined the process were persuaded to do so by becoming part of something meaningful and grand - to change America and the world.

The donations, he said, arose out of the public’s participation in the process and the user friendly internet design of the campaign made it easy for people to contribute. In his address, Andrew Bleeker who also served as New Media Director for the Presidential Inaugural Committee for President Obama, demonstrated to participants the ways in which the principles and lessons of the Obama internet campaign could be effectively applied in the corporate and retail environment.

The power of the internet was dramatically demonstrated in the last US Presidential election. In strictly monetary terms, over US $500 million was donated via the internet, by far the highest ever in political history. An army of Obama volunteers and supporters drafted through the internet was the other side of the equation in which the campaign’s spectacular success is measured.

Today, the two men who served as Directors of the Obama Internet Advertising campaign, Organ and Bleeker, are full-time members of staff at ASGK Public Strategies, the firm whose partners worked on the Obama campaign in various leading capacities.

Their collective experience and expertise are now being made available to local and regional business through Ross/ ASGK in St Clair, Port of Spain.