It’s a tie. Two marketers, same category.

My criteria:

• focus on authentic storytelling
• ability to not just use the web for marketing purposes, but to let the web drive the entire tone of marketing and product development
• desire to push through the dip and to either quit or win
• willingness to stand out and do things that people want to talk about
• guts to avoid burning the permission asset of supporters by spamming them to senselessness

Both winners built world-famous brands in less than a year of effort. Both paid for their marketing largely through self-liquidating campaigns on the web itself. And neither one of them has a job you will ever likely have. Which makes it even easier to learn from their work as marketers.

In two days we find out if either one of them actually built a marketing campaign that worked. It really doesn’t matter, though. The fact that they’ve gotten this far (with diametrically opposed points of view, by the way) is proof that this marketing thing isn’t just a fad.

You’ve probably guessed my two winners: Ron Paul and Barack Obama. Who would have guessed two years ago that without much help at all from the establishment, either would be where they are today? That’s the power of the new marketing.

If you want to read more, in order, my books on this: All Marketers are Liars, Meatball Sundae, The Dip, Purple Cow, Permission Marketing.

If you have to drive tonight, don’t drink, okay? Happy New Year!