WHAT OBAMA CAN TEACH YOU ABOUT MILLENNIAL MARKETING

Baby boomers and Gen Xers declared mass marketing dead long ago. But what Gen Xers and boomers may not realize is that the unabashed embrace of select brands by millennials, from technology to beverages to fashion, has made this decade a true golden era of marketing for those who know what they're doing. And when it comes to marketing, the Barack Obama campaign knows what it's doing. Obama's brand management, unprecedented in presidential politics, shows pitch-perfect understanding of the keys to appealing to the youngest voters. While critics see Obama's penchant for mass gatherings as arrogant, Neil Howe, co-author with the late William Strauss of "Generations", finds it perfect for millennials: They're more civically connected, and they find strength in numbers.