What Can You Learn About Marketing From A Presidential Race?
by Josh Amidon
If you know me at all, you know that a Presidential race is my Superbowl. I’m a political nerd – there I said it. My name is Josh and I’m a politics-aholic (if there were meetings for this, my fiancé would sign me up and drive me there). With that being said, this article’s sole purpose is to show you how tactics for a Presidential race can be dissected and applied to a small business owner’s marketing strategy – I will not be telling you who to vote for (although, it’s taking every fiber of my being not to scream it at you).
Modern politicians have more in common with marketers than you might think. To survive in the cutthroat world of politics, they have to pay close attention to their personal brand and storytelling. In order to be a success in today’s 24/7 social media-driven world, politicians have evolved from soapbox preachers into fully-fledged brands.
The Clinton, Bush, Obama and Reagan brands did not get where they are by accident. They are products that have been properly marketed and America has picked them off the shelf and put them in their cart.
Take some tips from (insert your favorite President here)
Cement and Share Your Brand: Your brand is more than your website and logo, it should embody a core narrative that’s carried throughout everything you share.
Why Are You Different: Clearly identify your competition and differentiate yourself from them. The narrative that you create should communicate why you are a better choice than the rest of the market, particularly when that marketplace is heavily saturated.
Be Willing To Evolve Your Strategy: Politicians require different themes and narratives at each stage of their campaign in order to be successful. As campaigns gather momentum, what worked in the primary season (appealing to a specific audience) will not work in the General Election (appealing to the widest possible demographic). A delicate balancing act is required.
Get Emotional: The best politicians know that stats and facts are important, but nothing sells a product like emotion - knowing how your base feels, sharing their pain points and connecting with them on a human level.
Embrace Technology: Millennials are now the largest demographic in the country (over 75 million). The best politicians know they want to consume the majority of their media online, are more cynical than any other generation and want an active relationship with their candidates.
Elections aren’t won just because someone has the best policies. They are won on how effectively candidates’ communicate these policies and engage with their audience. Small business owners are in the same boat and need to realize just having the best product or service isn’t enough anymore.
Did I make it? Did I get through the whole article without hitting you over the head with my political views?
