Episode 5: Money, Message, & Mobilization - Andrew Bleeker Talks Hillary 2016 with Tom Serres

Tech on Politics

What was going through Hillary Clinton’s mind while 2016’s election night unfolded? As a global leader in digital communications and Senator Clinton’s Head of Digital Marketing throughout the 2016 campaign, Andrew Bleeker has a better idea than most people. He joins us for Episode 5: Money, Message, & Mobilization. Some people may think that we elect our presidents in the same way we choose our popes—but in reality our elections and campaigns are now firmly rooted in tech. And during this divisive election, it was apparent that there are currently three main motivations in all political campaigns: money, message, and mobilization. In this episode of the podcast, Tom and Andrew focus on the role that Ad Tech, digital communications, and social media played in the two very different campaign trails. Even though the Democrats and Republicans were using each strategy in very different ways, they were still key motivators for both parties. Explaining the importance of search engines, social networks, and video in reaching voters, Andrew takes us through the new challenge of engagement vs. persuasion. Lots of new tech pushes persuasive content out to the target audience but has to also compete for attention with the likes of Buzzfeed and Vox. And if it doesn’t cut, it just doesn’t reach those all-important voters. In a world in which content and social media can win an election, it’s become all too clear that digital communications are now best-placed at the heart of every political campaign.