Memorandum

To: Mr. Smith

From: Zizhuo Hua, campaign consultant
Date: 26th September 2016
Re: Recommendations for the 2016 Presidential Elections
This report provides recommendations based on the analysis of 2012 presidential election
between two front runners Obama and Romney. The report focuses on the media and video
campaigns and the demographic/ political suture of the two swing states and the strategies use by
the candidates to win the vote vibrant blocks. It finally provides a recommendation based on the
advert and the demographic statistics of the population of the two states and how they influence
the success of Obama and their applicability in the 2016 elections.
Use of campaign media in campaign
Campaign media is a vital tool for communication to the voters. In 2012 presidential campaign
both Obama and Romney utilized various media to communicate their agenda and seek votes
from American citizens. The presidential contenders used direct messages and social media to
sell their candidature to the citizens1. They both employed media to their advantage. President
Obama engaged many American citizens in news blog while Mitt Romney utilized RomneyRyan ticket to communicate with voters. Moreover, both Obama and Romney used television
interviews to express their agenda to citizen and show the voters why they fit well to lead
America. The candidates also used media to throw an accusation at one another. President
Obama for example in his twitter accused Romney to be suffering from Romnesia by
forgetting the conservative policies of the Republican and focusing on the moderate policies.
Nevertheless, in both situations, the presidential contenders hired third-party firms to manage
and track their campaign development on their respective websites2. The companies that were
recruited by President Obama ensured that voters received his campaign advertisement in all
American states. Moreover, the companies would generate internet advertisement on websites
that would keep reminding the visitors on the candidates policies and manifestos.
Use of commercial videos in campaign
In addition to commercial media, the rival presidential contenders also utilized commercial
videos. President Obama, for example, used the Always 2012 commercial video. The Always
2012 political advert features Obama communicating to the American people on what America
needs. The advert portrays American citizen engaged in various economic activities other on the
construction site and other on their business. The advert prescribed as see yourself captures
Obama speaking with a soft background that is attractive, comfortable and inspiring to listen to
by the American voters.

1 Obama, Barack. "Watch Full Episodes Online of PBS News Hour On PBS | Obama
Spent10Times as Much on Social Media as Romney". PBS. 2016

The adverts are made to entice the voters to feel that the economy and American investment
would be in the safe hands. The voice adverts like in the Obama Always 2102 details an inspiring
speech that entails economic and development agendas such as the construction of infrastructure,
investment, and economic stability. This is aimed at to depict the candidate as economic and
development leader, and this is a major factor that many American voters would consider in
electing their new president
Furthermore, Obama and Romney also used the Firm 2012 commercial video for their
campaign. In the video advert president, Obama is depicted as walking around a luxurious
building while Romney is shown as speaking to people. The advert text describes Romney
pushing jobs from American to chines and Mexican. It also shows Romney has Outsourcing Jobs
from Indian instead of using American people and his tax evasion tendencies. The message in the
advert is to depict Obama as a fine leader capable of removing the American from the
retrogressing hands of Romney1. Thus the commercial advertisement intelligently describes
Obama as a suitable leader to take the presidency and distort Romneys ambition of leading
America.
Nonetheless, Romney employed Give me a break commercial video advert to discredit Obama
as a contestant of the American presidency. In the commercial ad, Obama has depicted as a cross
with a zigzag line inscription that the Economy is even worse under President Obama. A text in
the advert indicates that American economy has failed. It mentions of 23 million American are
unemployed. It depicts Romney as a recipe that would rectify the economic mess under President
Obama. The tonal voice used in the text is soft and changes depending on the intended
communication agenda. The Give Me Break 2012 advert designed to demonstrate the failures of
President Obama such as frustration from unemployment. In another video advert, named Find
Away, Obama administration is depicted as increasing debt, unemployment and giving empty
promises in his four years in the administration3. However the same commercial depict Romney
as the cable of advocating for turnaround economy, deficits and 85% democratic legislations.
The voice like in previous adverts is soft and changes with the message. The media and videos
demonstrate how Romney past is consistent and the poor performance in Obama administration.
Both the commercial media and video campaigns are all strategically and intelligently designed
to entice a voter to vote one candidate and not the other and vice versa.
Analysis of the demographics of two swing votes of the states of Florida and Colorado.
The median household income in Colorado according to recent poverty reports was $56765. As
for Florida, the revenue was lesser at $46442. Similarly, the percentage of people living in
poverty in Colorado was approximately 12.04 % (630786 people) while the proportion was
16.49% (3211615 individuals). Ideally, the statistics reiterate increased poverty-related issues in
Florida. In Colorado, 77% of students graduated successfully from secondary schools between
the years 2012 and 2013. Additionally, 12% did not go to school while 45.8% attained higher
learning education in universities and colleges. In contrast, Florida registered 76% of high school
graduates, 17% dropouts, and 37.8% accessed higher learning institutions4.

2 Romney, Mitt. 2016. "How Campaigns Amass Your Personal Information to Deliver

3 Johnson, Dennis W. Campaigning for President 2012: Strategy and Tactics. New York,
N.Y.: Rutledge, 2014.
These statistics depict inadequate secondary and post-secondary education in Florida as
compared to Colorado. Furthermore, Florida comprises of 12734292 whites (79.7%) and
2471730 blacks (15.5%). As well, the Native Americans contribute to 0.7% of the entire
population while the Asians constitute 2.1%. Other races provide 4.4%. In Colorado, the whites
comprise 82.8% (3560005) while the blacks represent 3.8%. Asians make up 2% while other
races contribute. The above statistic indicates that the ethnic composition is more balanced in
Florida than Colorado where the dominant race is only white8.5% to the entire population6.
Hence, the racial composition in Florida is quite balanced as opposed to Colorado where the
whites are the dominant race.
Finally, Colorado has 50.4% of males and 49.6% females. The voting population between 20-24
years is approximately 22.5%. Between 35 and 54 the proportion is 31.4% while 55-69
comprises about 10%. People over 70 years constitute an estimated 7%. Within the same groups,
the percentages for Florida are 18.8%, 28.4%, 13.2%, and 13% respectively5. Contrarily, the
males comprise 48.8% while the females 51.2%. In conclusion, Obama's compelling analysis of
the issues above guaranteed him victory in the 2012 presidential election.
Recommendation
From the analysis of the campaign commercial video and media used by Obama and Romney in
their 2012 presidential campaign and the demographic statistic of the population in the swings
votes of Florida and Colorado. It would be prudent to consider the following designing complain
strategy and in winning the rich voting block of Florida and Colorado.
It would be judicious to choose a reputable firm to develop and distribute the campaign
advertisement. The success of Obama commercial video adverts such as Always and firm
were based on the choice of good campaign firm. Additionally, the adverts should be
designed in a manner to attract, inspire and encourage the voters. The voices used in the
adverts and the images should depict the inspiration and the leadership as reality and
comforting
The commercial videos and media used should not focus more on discrediting the
competitor. Accusation should be a silent feature that comes itself in the advert without
bold inscription in on the text. Voters should see from the voice and images that you are
the best candidates based on the policies and ideologies. The campaign advertisement
should be distributed to reach all the states to market the manifestos
The television interviews, direct messages and management of website should be a
priority as these are the key communication methods that directly reaches the voters.
The two swing vote States of Florida and Colorado are critical regions, and such focus
should be placed on analysis the social, economic status of the voters in the regions and
detail in the campaign adverts and media the strategies in place to eliminate such
inadequacies. Additionally, its prudent analyze the proportion of individual voters and
whom they are likely to vote
4 Collision 2012: Obama vs. Romney and the future of elections in America." Choice Reviews
5 Panagopoulos, Costas, and Aaron C. Weinschenk. A Citizen's Guide to U.S. Elections.

Bibliography
Obama, Barack. "Watch Full Episodes Online of PBS News Hour On PBS | Obama Spent 10
Times As Much on Social Media as Romney". PBS. 2016
http://www.pbs.org/video/2305745720/.
"Collision 2012: Obama vs. Romney and the future of elections in America." Choice Reviews
Online 51, no. 09 (2014): 51-5288-51-5 88. doi:10.5860/choice.51-5288.
Johnson, Dennis W. Campaigning for President 2012: Strategy and Tactics. New York, N.Y.:
Rutledge, 2014.
Panagopoulos, Costas, and Aaron C. Weinschenk. A Citizen's Guide to U.S. Elections:
Empowering Democracy in America. New York: Rutledge, Taylor & Francis Group,
2016.
Romney, Mitt. 2016. "How Campaigns Amass Your Personal Information To Deliver Tailored
Political Ads." PBS News Hour. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics-july-dec12
frontline_10-29/.