The Email Wars

So much was made these past two week about the strategy of Barack Obama using email and sms to alert those following the campaign and supporting the campaign to learn about the VP he selected FIRST by these two methods. So what happened late friday night when the news was released to the world? 

Well I was out that night, but learned of it first not by email or SMS from his campaign, but from Twitter, websites and friends that the announcement had been made. Heck the news channels even had it before anyone go the SMS or the email letting them know that the choice had been made. 

Others noticed this as well: 

“Word of Obama’s decision leaked out hours before his campaign was scheduled to inform supporters via text and e-mail messages, and hours after informing two other top contenders for the vice presidential nomination – Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana and Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia – that they had not been chosen.”

So the email finally arrived in the AM on Saturday after 7am. I have attached it below for two reasons. 

1. The promise made across the web was that you would know FIRST by signing up and opting in. And yet we knew from more sources besides those two 12 hours earlier.

2. The email I thought would include video a photo and some excitement from his staff since this announcement was so hyped and so media hyped for so long. What a let down to just get this HTML text email. 

So did they fail to live up to the Customer Value promise? My opinion is yes they did fail. Not that they failed to get the news out, but they failed to deliver on the promise of give us your email or phone number and we will make sure that no one knows before we tell you first. They hinted to news media that they would have to opt in as well to learn from the campaign. 

So maybe there was too much excitement internally to get the email and SMS out fast last night. I hardly believe that the online marketing machine that this campaign is would have a problem delivering a text message anywhere no matter what time of day or night. 

What does this mean? Well in the end not much, but as an email marketer - or more importantly as a marketer, you need to deliver on the brand promise. It will not change my ideas of which way I am voting but it does make me wonder how when we promise something to someone of value for the rights to their email or phone number that we MUST deliver on the promise. Think about what promises you make to your leads, prospects or customers and that when you make commitments like this… you deliver.