As I write, it appears that Barack Obama will become the first black American President in history - but aside from the colour of his skin, what impact is he likely to have on marketing technology?
Well according to Hill & Knowlton's experts on the other side of the Atlantic who have been up all night preparing a full report to clients (link to follow), President-elect Obama has already identified three key areas of technology policy that he intends to focus on:
"Open" internet and media
Obama supports network neutrality and will encourage diversity in the ownership of broadcast media. He favours parental controls over what children see on the Internet and tough penalties for those who abuse it. He also aims to strengthen privacy protections, holding "government and business accountable for violations of personal privacy". ISPs and online media take note.
Modern communications infrastructure
Obama wants to bring "true broadband" to every community in America, planning to better use the nation's wireless spectrum and promote next-generation facilities, technologies and applications. This is sure to present opportunities for technology hardware, software and service companies.
Technology in government
Obama has stated a commitment to creating a transparent and connected democracy, using technology to "reform government and improve the exchange of information between the federal government and citizens". To deliver this, he will appoint the nation's first Chief Technology Officer, who is sure to have a substantial budget and need help from technology providers and e-government consultants.
Will we see the promised change any time soon? I very much doubt that. The biggest change is likely to be fewer blog and Twitter posts talking about the election!
But if Obama is to be believed, technology is going to play a key role in his administration and marketers in all sectors - and technology companies in particular - need to pay close attention to his every move.
If you'd like to receive a copy of the full report produced by our team, please drop me a note with your name, job title, company and email and I'll pass your details on to them.
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