Obama's Video Guru: How We Owned The YouTube Primary

SAI:

At the polls, the Democratic primary was a squeaker. Online, however, it wasn't close: Barack Obama dominated the discourse and steamrolled Hillary Clinton in every relevant metric, including the number of people watching Obama-related video online.

Indeed, one of the more impressive achievements of Obama's organization is the way it churns out video after video--more than 1,165 posted and 14.8 million views on YouTube alone. Much of that is the work of Obama's director of field video production, 32-year-old Arun Chaudhary. Obama's YouTube guru shared some of his insights at an event Wednesday sponsored by frog design, the NYU's Tisch Interactive Telecommunications Program and Fast Company.

Obama's biggest advantage, Chaudhary said, was that his organization took video seriously from the start. The campaign has 50 staffers shooting, editing and posting video, most of it for online. Where Clinton would have just one staffer videotaping an event in Iowa, Obama often had five to provide multiple camera angles. They posted new video constantly, and quickly -- 19 minutes from shoot to post, in one case. And they'd ping community voters via email to alert them to new video.

Read the whole story: SAI

Comments

[10000Lakes]

01:53 PM on 07/17/2008

I think you actually pwned it.

[MariaHopeful]

12:56 PM on 07/17/2008

Congrats to Arun Chaudhary! But understand that Obama is the reason his strategy worked. There are other Aruns out there but there is only one Obama. Obama is a beautiful, charismatic figure. The camera loves him because it sees that that this man is decent, honest, sincere and authentic.
Can you guess that I love Obama bad?
Obama '08!

[Mayoyo]

01:42 PM on 07/17/2008

You are right. It never hurst to have a handsome and charismatic candidate.

[eden4barack08]

12:49 PM on 07/17/2008

Does McBush even know what YouTube is?

[Pdubya]

12:31 PM on 07/17/2008

the only thing owned is the debt to your corporate contributors.

owned youtube?

have ya googled ron paul?

[djelimon]

12:46 PM on 07/17/2008

"the only thing owned is the debt to your corporate contributors."

Care to substantiate that?

[KenBenobi]

12:56 PM on 07/17/2008

of course he/she can't.

just another meaningless dig at Obama's campaign prowess. love him or hate him, the guy KNOWS HOW TO RUN A MACHINE... reason enough to give him a vote of confidence in November.

I like Dr. Paul too. It'd be nice to see him get a spot in an Obama admistration... shoot even Hillary enjoys favor in this home... but all this Obama-hating from these 2nd (and worse) place finishers is sooooo simple.

[TuffPosh]

12:26 PM on 07/17/2008

The BHO campaign - unlike the McCain campaign - stringently moderates comments and video replies and makes sure that ne'er a dissenting voice is heard. Check out the comments on any of their videos: you'll only find comments in support of BHO. George Bush would have done things the same way.

Here's one of the videos the BHO campaign hopes you don't see:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EiullH5jU1A

[DAVESEAN]

12:24 PM on 07/17/2008

Online community organizing for a digital age...just ask john mcbush

[InfosolutionWiz]

12:24 PM on 07/17/2008

THE OBAMA Campaign Has Chart a New Course in history when it comes to Political Campaign Video Communication and Communication Period!!

[Speakchic]

11:53 AM on 07/17/2008

BO the candidate of the FUTURE in all ways. John McCain and the past/learning the internets.

HA!

[IslandGyal]

11:36 AM on 07/17/2008

I love our future President Obama!