The Genius Marketing of a Straw Poll

This weekend was abuzz with news that Michele Bachmann won the Ames, Iowa Straw Poll with Ron Paul just 200 votes behind her. Today former Governor Tim Pawlenty withdrew from the presidential race after coming in a distant third.

The Ames Straw Poll, some times called the Iowa Straw Poll because it is the most popular, happens every year in which there is not a Republican incumbant presidential candidate on the ticket. Since 1979, the first year the Ames Straw Poll was taken two out of five winners of the poll went on to become the candidate on the ticket. Bob Dole was the first and George W. Bush was the second.

The marketing of the straw poll is worth looking at. It is a brilliant marketing tool that is used by the Republican Party of Iowa. This poll is basically a fundraising dinner that has the Republican presidential candidates as its main speakers. The candidates bid for the best location at the University of Iowa to position their booth. This year Ron Paul won the best spot with a bid of $31,000. The candidates sell t-shirts and other campaign items.

Tickets to the straw poll are allowed to be purchased by the campaigns. This has not been verified but it was heard that Bachmann's campaign purchased 6000 tickets and gave them away and Paul's campaign purchased 4000 tickets and sold them for $10. A ticket to the event cost $30. In the past people from out of state were bussed in for the poll but this year Iowa GOP required a proof of identification to vote. This year it was an authentic Iowa vote.

Campaigns show their organizing strength by bringing in their volunteers and showing a strong presence to prove they have the ground support to win the straw poll next year for the presidential caucus. Since Iowa holds the first caucus in the country, they have a popular edge in the results of their straw poll.

The Republican Party of Iowa has shown excellent marketing savvy in the Ames Straw Poll. The thousands of people this brings to the state fair, the media crews, the volunteers from within the state and outside the state who travel to help their campaigns all bring retail dollars to the region and really across the state as campaigns travel to build support.

The results of the poll are not so much a representation of popular vote as much as they are a demonstration of campaign organizational strength. One would not know that based on reading the headlines alone. Half the presidential candidates in a given poll don't even participate but are some times put on the ballot.

This year Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, John Hunstsman and Herman Cain did not participate in the poll. Rick Santorum came in fourt place. This may be an indication that his efforts showed some level of success given he is running a smaller budgeted campaign and his social conservative views resonate well with Iowans. This poll was really a race between the top 4 candidates.

In spite of the fact that the Ames Straw Poll is slanted by the factors already mentioned, it remains a politically popular kick off to the following year's presidential race.

The Iowa Republican Party has a good thing going there! If my Twitter feed was any indication, they had quite a few Minnesotans in attendence. I had a regular play by play account beeping in on my phone. The wheels in the mind of this public relations and marketing professional are spinning!

Congratulations to Michele Bachmann and the Iowa GOP!