LinkedIn InMail + Tupac Hologram = The Future of Politics
A few weeks ago, I caught a CNN interview with Alki David, CEO of Hologram USA, the company famous for bringing a holographic recreation of Tupac Shakur to life at Coachella in 2012. Alki was describing the many applications holograms could have beyond the entertainment industry, suggesting that politics could be the next frontier.
As a lobbyist in Washington, I was intrigued and started to think about the possibilities. Imagine President Obama visiting a sixth grade classroom in Missouri as a hologram without having to take Air Force One, his staff and security detail along with him. Or Hillary Clinton appearing at campaign rallies in both New Hampshire and Iowa at the same time. Or Ronald Reagan walking out on stage at the 2016 Republican National Convention to give his historic “Mr. Gobachev tear down this wall” speech to a new generation of Republican voters.
To bring these ideas to life, I knew I needed to contact Alki, but how? Alki is a Greek billionaire, an entrepreneur and a shipping magnate. One does not just send a random email to such a significant global business leader and expect a timely response.
Well, I’ve been an avid LinkedIn member since 2004. CEOs, EVPs, SVPs, all C-level executives - they’re all on LinkedIn. So I took a shot. I sent him an InMail and, sure enough, within a half hour he responded.
Our first conversation confirmed my thoughts that 3-D holographic technology can be a new avenue for political communication. In India, Prime Minister Modi made dozens of simultaneous appearances around the country leveraging Hologram USA's technology as part of his campaign. His speeches reached crowds of 10,000 - 30,000 who participated in virtual town halls. Many news sources, from the Times of India to the Wall Street Journal, cited this technological advantage for helping him win.
It’s not a big step from Prime Minister Modi using this technology in India to Secretary Clinton, Governor Bush, and other potential U.S. Presidential candidates using this technology in upcoming elections.
So as a result of a simple InMail from one active LinkedIn member to another, the Hologram USA Washington effort was launched. Voters, get ready to meet your candidates in hologram.
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