Strategic Politicking...

Beth just called me with the news.

Right on the heels of Obama's high-voltage acceptance speech comes McCain's buzz-stirring VP announcement: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

What are most people talking about around the water cooler? Obama? McCain? (Last night’s Bears game?)

Parties and candidate choices aside, McCain made a clever marketing move.

For instance if your competitor's new product announcement is getting a lot of buzz, you need to create a louder buzz.

Did McCain choose the best candidate for the job or just a politically motivated alternative? My opinion doesn't matter. And this isn't a forum for politics.

But planning his VP announcement on the heels of the DNC Convention and choosing an unexpected choice is an interesting strategy.

Sometimes Marketing and Politics are a lot alike. Sometimes they're not.

Homework: What bold moves is your competition taking? What bolder moves can you take to knock them off-center. What's the best timing to announce your new product or service? Is it better to pre-empt them or to cut off their steam with a louder announcement of your innovation?