Every four years, we have the opportunity to experience games with a global significance.  At any given second, any competitor in the field can feel the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat.  This is when the years of training and sacrifice payoff.  USA … USA … USA.!!!

No, it isn’t the Olympics – it’s the U.S. Presidential election.

Politics may be the truest and oldest form of marketing. Think of the Democrats as Chevy and the Republicans as Ford.

Every four years, we have the opportunity to experience games with a global significance.  At any given second, any competitor in the field can feel the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat.  This is when the years of training and sacrifice payoff.  USA … USA … USA.!!!

No, it isn’t the Olympics – it’s the U.S. Presidential election.

As I’ve grown older, I’m starting to enjoy the “game” of politics even more than sitting down to 9 hours of football every Sunday.  Because, if you really pay attention to politics, you’ll see the very best practices of marketing and, at the same time, you’ll be devastatingly ashamed of the human race.

The Very Best Practices of Marketing

The Obama Campaigns
2008: In the midst of the worst economy that most of us can remember, the Obama campaign stuck with one clear message that resonated with voters: Change we can believe in.  This was supported with now-iconic posters with only one word each: “Hope,” “Progress,” “Change.”

The 2008 Obama campaign also featured more and better use of the internet than anyone previous – targeting 18-29-year-old voters who relied heavily in online media for information. When you contrast John McCain’s comparatively limited use of online resources, we see the clear Obama advantage.

Lesson 1: One clear message that resonates with your target. More copy is not necessarily better.

 

2012: The Democrats relied again on their online strategy, however after 4 years, the Republicans learned a few online lessons themselves.

In 2012, the Obama message strategy was to rationalize and it resulted in the use of too much data. In fact, rather than focusing on 1-3 key messages, the Obama campaign created a 21-page “pamphlet” (manifesto) to explain their policies.

So why did Obama win if he drowned his voters in paper and statistics?

Targeting. The GOP counted on upper middle and upper class white men to carry them (as usual) however Boomers are now being replaced with Millennials who are not yet in the higher income brackets and who tend to lean towards more liberal social agendas.

Lesson 2: While statistics are important to you, emotion is a stronger motivator than reason.
Lesson 3: Understand your audience and, if you need to, adapt.

 

Devastatingly Ashamed of the Human Race

The 2016 Republican Field
This year’s Republican field of 20,457 candidates proves that emotion “Trumps” reason. At this primary stage, the objective is clearly awareness over substance. Even tonight’s first Republican debate with 10 participants and only 90 minutes is built to be a Fox News-style sound bite format. And the public is eating it up!

Throwing out the rules.

Rule: Stay on Message:
When have the candidates had negative coverage? When they get off script.

  • “I assume some Mexicans are good people.”
  • “Her breast feeding disgusted me.”
  • “I want to punch teachers’ unions in the face.”
  • “Women’s health issues don’t necessarily need half a billion dollars.”

But, when have Trump’s poll numbers climbed? EVERY time he’s offended anyone! While those focusing on substance like Ben Carson and, on the Democrat side, Bernie Sanders are getting practically no national attention. It seems that style wins over substance.

Lesson being destroyed: See #1 above.

Lesson being supported (In a HUGE Wat!!!): See #2 above

The Game is Changing
At this stage of the Presidential primaries, clearly policies and agendas don’t matter. This year’s primary is more akin to a high school prom-king election with candidates doing whatever they can to be more outrageous than the “Trump card” currently being played.

I guess you could say that this is the candidate’s way of responding to Lessons #2 and #3 above. We’ll see if their policies speak to the masses when the campaigns finally gets down to substance.

Politics may be the truest and oldest form of marketing. Think of the Democrats as Chevy and the Republicans as Ford. You need clarity of message and you need to hone that message to your target – rephrasing, if necessary, for demographics – but always on message.

This year, however, the model seems to be evolving. In the current environment, awareness and frequency “Trump” message.  Politics in America is clearly targeting the YouTube, “Jackass,” “reality” TV demographic. 

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