Retail politics: How do Obama, Romney online campaign shops compare?
Daniel Howard, marketing professor at SMU's Cox School of Business, talks about the selection differences in Obama's and Romney's online campaign stores.
By SEAN COLLINS WALSH
So much for the clash between Mitt Romney, the savvy business entrepreneur, and Barack Obama, the cold politico.
In a matchup of their online stores, the Democratic president far outpaces his GOP rival in quantity and creativity....
Daniel Howard, a marketing professor at Southern Methodist University, said some Obama voters may be turned off by the focus on high-end products, especially those from elite designers.
“Can they afford a Vera Wang? Can they afford a Diane von Furstenberg? I don’t think so,” Howard said.
Obama’s highly targeted and stylized store is superior in the fundamentals of retail, Howard said, but the Romney site could get points with voters for the simplicity of its approach.
“Romney is selling the steak, whereas Obama is selling the sizzle,” he said.