Case Study: Citizen Kate, the outsiders’ view of inside politics.



Fact: Citizen Kate is the most photographed citizen journalist in the world.
Fact: Citizen Kate is an example of what one person can do to alter the face of history.
Fact: On a weekly basis, during the nearly two years on the presidential campaign trail, Citizen Kate filed over 100 video blogs that were seen by millions worldwide.

We did this without any paid promotion.

How We Did It

What is a pair of Betsy Johnson stilettos doing in an Amish buggy?
How did a butter bust of Obama help him win Iowa?
Why would someone spend two years on the road to try to meet Obama?

Reporters from around the globe asked these and more questions of Citizen Kate, the voluptuous Midwestern girl next door who captured the attention of most every presidential contender.

This wacky approach garnered us earned media and distribution partnerships worth millions in advertising dollars.

Citizen Kate Achievements:

Distribution:
- YouTube partnership garnered 400,000 hits
- Featuring on: Veoh, YouTube, Webcastr, MyLifetime, TheUptake, Alice105.9

- Millions of views worldwide

- Earned Media Coverage from beginning to end of campaign trail, from major media in newspapers, TV, radio, Internet, Blogs. LA Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, The Economist, Fox News, Fox TV Chicago, The NY Times, MyLifetime, TalkingPointsMemo, TechPresident, Huffington Post, hundreds of personal blogs.

How Citizen Kate Helped Obama Win Iowa

Next time you butter your bread, consider this – that little yellow pat helped Obama become President. 

It’s December 2007, and the world’s eyes are on Iowa’s crucial, too-close-to-call democratic caucus. It’s do-or-die for Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards.

Citizen Kate Soglin, a charming, flamboyant, buxom blonde from Chicago has set out to uncover how Obama can win Iowa. Although she has never actually voted, except on American Idol, Kate has been covering or as The Economist described it, “stalking” Obama since he entered the race.

Citizen Kate finds that Iowa’s main industry is butter. She devises a delectable plan to capture Obama’s attention and help him win the caucus: gather photos of Obama’s head, 20 pounds of sweet, Grade A butter and commission “The Butter Cow Lady of Iowa” to sculpt the butter bust of the next American president. “Oh my god, he’s not black or white. He’s buttah!” beamed Kate, as she licked her lips.

The Obama campaign, however, did not seem so impressed by the butter Obama.

Yet five days before the caucus at an Obama rally in Des Moines, The Butter Cow Lady alone presents the butter president to the future president. Obama jokes about the size of his ears. Within seconds, reporters around the globe fawn over this sweet symbol of Midwestern goodness. Citizen Kate’s plan works, he wins Iowa but doesn’t notice her.

History is made when Barack Hussein Obama wins Iowa.   In Citizen Kate’s own way, she helped forever change the face of history. Literally.  

Watch an episode here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEfj2jJG2fs