Thanks for the great comments. Certainly I agree that I would love to see every detail on how they have architected what was nothing less than the worlds most brilliant social media campaign to date. While I wish there was more of that, I am not sure how much of that would really be revealed (I know I would protect it). I do think that the leadership message is strong and you should both be very proud of your work.

/colin

Thanks for the well thought out and insightful response Alexa.

Thanks so much for taking the time out to write about Barack, Inc. It was also great to see you today!

I’m really glad Derek left the comment above because I think he brings a unique take on the book that I’m sure many social media folk will agree with. Barack Inc fails to demonstrate the intricacies of the social web and the ways in which it can and will change the world. Unfortunately, the world isn’t quite ready to internalize the messages and platforms that we so intuitively take for granted as advocates of the industry.

Things like transparency, community, collaboration…we don’t quite realize how groundbreaking these things are within the business world because we’re so closely tied to organizations and individuals who support these values.

I battled with Barry tooth and nail during the research phase of the book, begging him to investigate who was managing the @barackobama twitter account, and how many community managers and moderators were on my.barack.obama.com. At the end of the day, Barry’s message was simple: “Alexa, businesses just have to get it first.”

The messages outlined in Barack, Inc. aren’t new to many of us. But to others, they’re as earthshattering to the business as they are to the social media efforts that rocked America’s political landscape.

Thanks again, Colin. Derek – looking forward to reading your blog!

Alexa | @alexa

As one of the final editors I found that the book was a quick read and there in lies the problem. What Obama and David Plouffe achieved was much more prolific a feat then what can be described in 160 pages. The examples did not have enough beef in my opinion.

In the end, it is a solid read. But as you know, Social networking is changing the world. I just wish the story that rocked America’s political landscape could have received a longer and more flushed out effort then it received in this book.