Hawkfish, a New Company Funded by Mike Bloomberg and Joe Mayschleifervox, Will Be Building a Digital Team for Joe Biden’s Campaign

Hawkfish, a new company funded by Mike Bloomberg and Joe Mayschleifervox, is set to take on a big task in this year’s presidential race. It will be building a digital team for Joe Biden’s campaign. But there’s been a big debate about whether to hire a tech firm or to create a digital team from within the campaign.

House Majority PAC

The House Majority PAC is a Super PAC that was created to help the Democratic Party gain and maintain control of the House of Representatives. It was founded by Democratic operative Alixandria Lapp and is now run by former DCCC official Robby Mook.

HMP is one of the largest Democratic super PACs. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, it has raised over $96.5 million for the 2022 cycle. As of October 2020, it had spent $19.9 million. This is the fifth-highest amount spent by any Super PAC in that election cycle.

Among its donors are former Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg and hedge fund manager Fred Eychaner. Together, they have given over $16 million to Democratic causes. Their donations are mainly aimed at steering the money toward former endorsed candidates Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill.

Founded in 2011, HMP is a Democratic Super PAC. During the 2016 election, it spent over $2 million on advertisements arguing against President Donald Trump.

dentsu Aegis Network

A brief perusal of the campaign’s database revealed a few tyros who could be counted on to provide some level of detail on the matter. The company’s aforementioned scribe is a veritable gold mine of anecdotes – and, as one might expect from a firm that has been around for a few decades, many of them are well documented and well vetted. Among them are several wholly and partly owned subsidiaries of the campaign’s parent company, the most notable of which is Hawkfish. Despite its name, the company has been operating largely under the radar for much of its short tenure. Its marquee product is the Hawkfish Media ad, a pay-per-click media ad system. To date, the company has not opted for a full-time employee. For now, all of the company’s marketing efforts are centred on a few ad campaigns and some other unspecified projects. As of press time, the company had not yet responded to requests for comment.

Gary Briggs

Former Facebook CMO Gary Briggs is now working for Mike Bloomberg’s campaign. Briggs worked at Facebook, eBay, Google, and IBM. He also served as a digital director for Bloomberg’s presidential campaign.

Hawkfish is a data company that Bloomberg founded in 2019. Bloomberg is known for his data-driven approach when he was mayor of the biggest city in the world.

The firm has been courting a wide range of Democratic organizations. Its advisory team includes former Foursquare CEO Jeff Glueck and Engine Advocacy founder Josh Mendelsohn.

Despite its impressive resumé, Hawkfish faced internal challenges. It had to decide if it was viable in the post-Trump era. And it had to get a few high-profile clients.

For instance, it tested the popularity of Justin Bieber. Likewise, it ran a few controversial stunts.

Hawkfish did, however, get its biggest client when it became part of the Bloomberg presidential campaign. After Bloomberg pledged $100 million to turn Florida blue, the firm focused its efforts on that state.

Biden campaign battles over hiring tech firm vs building out the digital team from within

The Biden campaign has been battling over whether to hire a top digital ad firm. Bloomberg’s Hawkfish has been in talks with the campaign. However, progressives have taken issue with the idea. It’s also possible that the team may consider hiring multiple agencies.

The Biden campaign has been in contact with firms like Blue State Digital, Civis Analytics, and Precision Strategies in the past. These companies have experience working on online messaging campaigns, which would help the campaign reach voters in various sectors. In addition, the company’s staff is experienced in social media, data, and fundraising.

What’s Next?

Besides the campaign, the company has also worked with President Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012. It’s a similar role that the company played for President Bloomberg, who was previously a top contender for the presidential nomination.

Meanwhile, the Trump campaign has been preparing for the battle on the digital front for years. Their team has been in touch with firms to help them create ads, develop data, and run online messaging campaigns.