British social media expert Matthew McGregor, credited for Barack Obama's successful 2012 social media campaign, has been hired by the ALP in the lead-up to the federal election.
Lauded for his role in mobilising young voters, Mr McGregor led the election campaign's digital rapid response unit and was nicknamed “digital attack dog” for his ferocious style in responding to events as they cropped up on the campaign trail.
He was the mastermind behind numerous videos ridiculing gaffes and comments made by Republican candidate Mitt Romney.
One such video came after Mr Romney commented on a trip to London that the city did not appear ready to host the Olympics Games.
"You know, it's hard to know just how well it will turn out," he said in an interview with NBC.
"There were a few things that were disconcerting...the stories about the private security firm not having enough people."
Watch: Mitt Romney Questions Readiness for London Olympic Games
The gaffe sparked widespread outrage, with British newspaper The Telegraph commenting: "Mitt Romney is perhaps the only politician who could start a trip that was supposed to be a charm offensive by being utterly devoid of charm and mildly offensive."
British Prime Minister David Cameron issued a quick response rebuking Mr Romney's remarks, noting: "We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities in the world. Of course it's easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere," he said.
Mr McGregor used the controversy to poke fun at Mr Romney and highlight his supposed shortfalls, later describing the incident as “the best day of my life.”
“It was tremendously enjoyable,” Mr McGregor said, “because I think it exposed the real Mitt Romney to the American people.”
Watch: Mitt Romney's Easy Five-Step Approach to Foreign Policy
Response videos such as this one were uploaded to YouTube and promoted through social media outlets including Facebook and Twitter.
Democrats supporters were then encouraged to spread the videos online and share them with their friends.
Mr McGregor said it was not only speed that made the videos effective but “meaningful” and “enjoyable” content that could "tangibly affect the outcome of the election in millions of small ways".
“When you talk about rapid response it has to be rapid, but it also has to be pointed”, David Axelrod, Mr Obama's campaign head said after the election victory last year.
“Matthew has that edge to him.”
Another video included an imaginary news clip which envisaged the United States' future under a Mitt Romney administration, where abortion laws were being rolled back , millionaires given tax breas and jobs moved to China.
Watch: The 100th Day of the Romney Administration
The videos were seen as an effective aspect of an overall campaign strategy to harness the power of social media platforms and organise grassroots campaigns through them.
The Obama campaign developed an unprecedented Facebook application, for example, that merged voter data with lists of supporters' Facebook friends. This then urged supporters to share specific messages with friends who they knew were undecided, persuadable or not yet registered, a tactic that allowed the Obama campaign to reach specific blocks of voters in a way they hadn't been able to before.
“With such large numbers already invested in Facebook, campaigns must leverage existing bases of support within these networks, instead of building new networks from scratch,“ Mr McGregor said in a column outlining the main principles his team stuck with during the campaign.
Following President Obama's election victory, Mr McGregor urged other politicians to invest in digital staff.
“Most campaigns won't hire more than 150 digital staffers, but without a human engine to create powerful content, run compelling fundraising programs, and lower barriers for digital engagement, the campaigns won't succeed," he said.
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