Mobile technology and social media have played a huge role in the first political contests of the 2012 election season. That much was apparent during last week’s Iowa Caucuses. And the same has been true ahead of today’s New Hampshire Republican primary.
Recently it was announced that Mitt Romney’s campaign had selected Jumptap to create targeted campaign ads for the first round of primaries. And so far, the effort seems to have paid off. Romney won Iowa (barely, of course) and is poised to finish first or a close second tonight in New Hampshire.
Jumptap, however, helped Romney be the first candidate to run mobile ads for both the IA caucus and NH primary.
The ads, targeted at the zip-code level, cost just a fraction of TV or radio exposure but have a powerful, personal impact.
As a result, Jumptap and others in the mobile industry believe that the use of mobile in the primaries may well be a precursor for the 2012 presidential election.
“New media has impacted presidential politics in unexpected ways: from the first televised presidential debate of 1960 to 2008’s use of social media. 2012 is the year mobile will have a real impact on the voters, giving presidential candidates the chance to connect with voters on a personal level,” said Jorey Ramer, Founder and VP of Corporate Development at Jumptap. “Never more than an arms-length away, smartphones have become the primary information and Internet touch point for many consumers. We’re proud to be among the first to deliver mobile advertising on mobile websites and applications in a presidential primary.”
Do you think Mitt Romney’s more skillful usage of mobile technology will give him a competitive edge in the primaries? Please weigh in with a thought or comment below.
