Is McCain a marketing genius (but a stupid candidate)?

This morning likely Republican Nominee John McCain named Alaskan Govenor Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate. Now we all know that McCain did not do this for a political reason, she pales in comparison to any of his other choices. But this is not a political blog, this is about marketing, and McCain’s choice could prove to be a smart marketing move.

Palin has a unique story, she’s a normal person who got into politics to make a difference, she has 5 kids, one who is serving in the armed forces. Let’s not forget she’s a woman, and McCain is trying to win points based on recent trends of a certain female politician. There is plenty to talk about here. But even more timely was this shocking news. Right after the end of the Democratic National Convention.

So what’s the marketing lesson here.

Add something unique and worth talking about to your brand.

Time the release to draw as much attention away from your competition as possible. (Especially at a time when you competition has something worth talking about.)

Appeal to current trends and the desires of undecided customers in your niche.

The problem though, is that this can backfire. A flash in the pan is impressive, but you need to have the firepower to follow up. And if you read the commentary, right now that is still really undediced. So only time will tell if that’s the case for this brand. And the biggest questions is whether a well placed marketing move could end up spelling the end of a campaign, or the beginning of a presidency.

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