3Metas Doing Online Politics
How we built Colombia's best political website in 2009 by combining digital strategy, social media integration, and modern technology to revolutionize political campaigning.
What Does 3Metas Actually Do?
Explaining what 3Metas does can be complicated, but nothing is better than a real example. We had two business divisions: B2C focused on improving communications between our clients and their customers, and MyBusiness which improved internal processes and operations. In both cases, we used state-of-the-art technology to help clients achieve their strategic goals.
Let me share a case study that perfectly illustrates what our B2C division accomplished: building the digital presence for German Vargas Lleras's 2010 presidential campaign in Colombia.
The Challenge: Transforming Political Communication
When we joined the campaign, we started with a comprehensive audit and then executed a complete digital transformation:
Our Strategic Approach
Communications Strategy
We identified existing messages and channels, then recommended critical changes. The most important: we shifted from promoting "transicioncolombia" (the political party) to "vargaslleras" (the real person). This humanization wasn't just for social media—it cascaded across all communication channels.
We created a unified tagging strategy across all campaign properties and carefully selected communication channels, message tone, and posting frequency.
Website Redesign
We completely redesigned the candidate's website to prioritize the person, their ideas, and their activities. All information was unified in one central hub, creating a single source of truth for supporters.
Social Media Integration
Deep integration with YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, and Google Calendar created a seamless cross-platform experience. Supporters could engage wherever they were most comfortable.
Unified Brand Identity
We developed a consistent visual identity across all social media platforms, making the campaign instantly recognizable regardless of where supporters encountered it.
Unified Registry System
We built a sophisticated data collection system that captured supporter information from the website, social media applications, and even third-party systems. This gave the campaign unprecedented insight into their supporter base.
Technical Infrastructure
We implemented a robust CMS, executed a comprehensive SEO strategy, and strengthened security. We also integrated tracking and measurement tools for monitoring word-of-mouth spread.
Innovation: Facebook Applications
We didn't stop at integration—we created custom Facebook applications specifically for the campaign. This was cutting-edge in 2009, when Facebook apps were still a relatively new phenomenon for political campaigns.
These apps allowed supporters to show their endorsement, share campaign messages with their networks, and recruit friends—all within the Facebook ecosystem where people were already spending their time.
The Results
The campaign, candidate, and supporters were thrilled with the results. The site was selected as Colombia's best political website in 2009.
More importantly, the digital strategy created unprecedented engagement and helped build a movement, not just a campaign.
What Made Us Different
The combination of skills—communications strategy, software development, design, and business understanding—along with our commitment to the global strategy defined 3Metas as a true digital strategy company, not just a web development shop or design agency.
We didn't just build websites; we built digital ecosystems that drove real-world results. We understood that technology was a means to an end, not the end itself. The goal was always achieving our clients' strategic objectives.
Lessons for Modern Digital Strategy
- Humanize the brand: People connect with people, not logos or party names
- Integrate, don't isolate: Your digital presence should work as one ecosystem
- Measure everything: What gets measured gets improved
- Meet people where they are: Don't force them to come to you
- Strategy first, technology second: Tools serve the strategy, not vice versa
Modern Context: Political Campaigns in 2025
Looking back from 2025, what we built in 2009 was ahead of its time. Many of the principles still apply:
- • Social media integration is now standard, but execution quality still varies wildly
- • Data collection and CRM systems are even more sophisticated, with AI-powered targeting
- • Personalization has evolved from basic name insertion to AI-generated content tailored to individual voters
- • Video content has become dominant, with TikTok and YouTube Shorts now more important than Facebook
- • Real-time engagement and rapid response have become critical in the 24/7 news cycle
The core lesson remains: strategy + technology + execution = results. The tools change, but the principles of good digital strategy endure.
The Bottom Line
This project exemplified what 3Metas did best: we combined deep technical expertise with strategic thinking and creative execution to deliver measurable results. We weren't just service providers; we were strategic partners invested in our clients' success.
Whether you're building a political campaign, launching a product, or growing a business, the same principles apply: know your audience, meet them where they are, measure relentlessly, and always serve the strategy, not the technology.