I normally don’t get into politics on this blog, and I’m not going to start now. That’s why I wrote this political piece for Media Bullseye about the use of social media in this year’s presidential campaign .

From a marketing perspective this year has great examples on both sides of the asile and from a public policy perspective. For example – Divided We Fail sponsored by AARP, Business Roundtable and other groups, Clean and Fair Campaign 2008 a group set up on Facebook by members of the Public Relations Society of America, PRSA The Story of Stuff with Annie Lenoard, the National Right to Work among many others.

On the candidate side, McCain fosters comments from bloggers on his McCainSpace while Obama is doing a great job of reaching out to communities in more than two dozen social media sites.

Are you participating in any political, public policy social networks or blogs? Share them with your fellow readers.

Time 21:37

I have said for a long time that social media is more a movement than a market.

So when I heard the authors of Millennial Makeover Michael Hais and Morley Winograd interviewed on the News Hour talking about how YouTube, et al social media was going to impact the future of American Politics, I had to reach out to them as guests on the Marketing Edge podcast.

The nature of social media and the timing of this technology fits perfectly with the Millennial generation. The millennial generation is comprised of individuals born in the 80s and early 90s. During their upbringing they were taught to share, play nice, not keep score, and that they were special by their parents, Barney and Mr. Rogers among others.

I also assert that there is a confluence of hardball politics, greater media segmentation spawning like-minded echo chambers and the dissolution of mainstream journalism that has prompted millions of people to connect outside of traditional institutions. They are turning to social media, blogs, twitter, Facebook and many others.

This book and our conversation is not just about politics however, social media is, well social. It can not be segmented like other forms of marketing or communications. The civic minded, and ultra connected Millennial generation are buyers, business leaders, and in a neighborhood near you. Combine this generation with other age demographics that are using social networks like LinkedIn and iGoogle, and you have a whole new paradigm for communications.

If you want to get a chance to win the Millennial Makeover book send me an email to Marketingedge@providentpartners.net with the word Makeover in the subject line.