Advantages of the Obama Campaign Team - Essay Example

The paper compares and contrasts the campaign websites of Obama and Perry on four points which are listed below. 

Accessibility and Readability

Both websites score heavily on this point though the Obama website is more accessible than Perry’s in terms of faster loading and quicker browsing within the contents. However, the Perry website has an ingenious method of signing up anyone who’s interested right on the first page that loads as opposed to the Obama website which has this feature as part of the home page. The readability quotient for the Obama website is better given the judicious use of space on the site and the clever font size which makes it easier on the eye. The main advantage that the Obama website has over Perry’s is that the former has for all purposes been declared the 2012 candidate by the Democrats whereas the latter is yet to secure the nomination. This essential fact is the distinguishing point to note when comparing the websites.

 Visual Appeal and Presentation

                        Rick Perry’s website is structured around the concept of promoting the candidate by highlighting his contributions and his stances on various issues. Obama’s website on the other hand is structured around the concept of bringing in more volunteers. As pointed out in the introduction, the Obama campaign team relies on grassroots mobilization and fundraising from millions of voters whereas the Perry team is mainly funded by rich individuals which makes the two websites a picture in contrast because of the differing emphasis each has on this issue. The larger point here is that the Obama website is centered on providing information for potential volunteers whereas the Perry website is centered on providing information about the candidate. To illustrate this further, while the Obama website has a ticker for Twitter updates that concentrate on volunteer information and grassroots mobilization, the Perry website has sections for news about the candidate.

Content

                        As explained above, the content differs in the two websites in terms of the focus on the differing priorities of the two campaign teams. However, it needs to be mentioned that both the websites do a good job in providing information and that too in a readable and accessible manner. From a purely utilitarian perspective, the content on both websites is good though the areas of focus differ. Further, the Perry website has a somewhat greater emphasis on the issues maybe because the President is always in the news whereas Perry needs to highlight his stand on issues to the voter.

Use of Technology

                        Obama’s campaign team uses technology very effectively and this is reflected in the website as well. Given the fact that the website is fully integrated with Twitter updates and real-time information display, Perry’s site can do more on this front. However, the other aspects like the richness of display and the structure mean that the Perry team is not lagging behind and we might see some of the features like real-time display of information being available on this site as the campaign progresses. The other aspect that is to be noted is the use of color and widgets on the Obama site which Perry’s campaign team can well emulate. The 2008 campaign was notable for the use of technology and it is certain that the 2012 campaign would witness more effective use of technology.

Conclusion    

                        The Obama campaign team enjoys several advantages over the Perry team like the certainty of nomination, past experience, and news coverage. However, we can be certain that the momentum would swing back and forth once the campaign goes into high gear and if Perry is nominated on the Republican ticket, we sure would see more aggressive marketing of the candidate. In conclusion, the Obama team is adept at using technology and the internet and the Republicans can learn a thing or two from them.