Prose and Presidential Politics
Published 10/4/2012
Author: Christine Birkner
Author Biography
Christine Birkner is a staff writer for Marketing News. She can be reached at cbirkner@ama.org.
Summary
“Are you better off than you were four years ago?” “Read my lips: No new taxes.” “Yes, we can.” While politicians rely heavily on marketing strategies and tactics, from researching and segmenting voter bases, to crafting promotional strategies that accurately and convincingly convey the candidate’s “brand attributes,” messaging is at the heart of every political campaign, of course. And when it’s used effectively, it not only embeds itself in voters’ memories; it wins elections.
The marcom end of things is on full display this election year, as both U.S. presidential candidates attempt to tap voters’ emotions and intellect, and battle to overcome their preconceived notions. Like the cover lines on a package or the content on a company website, the words and phrases, colloquialisms and collegial comments included in everything from campaign speeches to friendly chatter help form the candidate’s brand identity and make or break his chances of winning. But the real winning strategy in political messaging balances mass and micro, building stump speeches and story lines that both play well to audiences of thousands and ring true in town hall meetings. The devil is in the details—or in the lack thereof—when deciding what to say, and when to localize it.
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