The Monkey Shack

BusinessWeek has called this the first social media election. The impact that social media had on the election is undeniable, and should once and for all convince marketers everywhere of its legitimacy and effectiveness as a marketing tool. Not only does the internet allow voters to learn more about the candidates than we ever would have before, but it enables voters to broadcast their unfiltered thoughts and opinions to the world. Gone are the days when a democrat in Utah or republican in Massachusetts would have little outcome on an election. Now they can communicate with and influence the opinions of others around the country, forcing candidates and major parties to develop a truly national strategies as opposed to almost exclusively focusing on key battleground states.

With the earliest Obama Girl videos, questions asked of candidates in town hall meetings submitted via YouTube (which didn't even exist in the 2004 election), the viral spread of Tina Fey's impersonation of Sarah Palin on SNL, mash ups of candidate videos and logos, blogs, Twitter feeds, virtual Obama or McCain buttons on Facebook, embedded video in emails, and avatars crowded into election-related islands and parties awaiting election results in SecondLife, the election and marketing landscape is forever changed.