Marketing 101

I know a lot of people who have watched the rise of Sarah Palin with something akin to a "deer in headlights" (or perhaps "moose in floodlight" is more apt here) look in their eyes. "How can people fall for this?," they ask.

Well, the truth is they'll fall for it the same way people who would otherwise never even shop at WalMart would line up at midnight to buy a Wii or stand in line for hours in the heat with small kids for an iPhone (note finger pointed squarely back at self...). Now one can argue that "because it's cool" is a more justifiable reason to select a video game system or a cell phone than the leader of the free world, but there's a reason companies pay big bucks for market research and branding efforts. They work.

Amazingly, slight changes to the shape or color of a product's packaging, or even splashing "NEW" across the side of the box can draw in new customers and bring back old ones. It gets people to take a second look, and curiosity often drives them to give it a try. I've been saying for weeks that Sarah Palin's story is a perfectly good reason to attend a rally--she IS a phenomenon, and a historic one--but I don't think her story is a good reason to vote for her ticket.

Beyond generating brand recognition and initial excitement, marketing professionals also tend to worry about staying power and generally speaking that has more to do with what is inside the box. Is it good enough to keep people coming back once they are no longer drawn for curiosity's sake?

That will be the test with Sarah Palin, but the GOP was not foolish in announcing her so late. The public will have barely 60 days to whet their curiosity and scrutinize their choice before they have to make a decision with lasting and irreversible consequences. On November 5th, a new guard will have been chosen and we'll all have to live with it.

There's a piece on CNN today that talks about this marketing effect but to my mind there are a few things for those of us who are still scratching our heads to keep in mind:

Sometimes the best way to satisfy curiosity is to just get it out of your system. Anyone who has ever had a "seemed like a good idea at the time" moment (is there anyone who hasn't?) knows that even if someone had tried to talk you out of it ahead of time, you probably wouldn't have listened. It is in all of our interests to have people's curiosity about Palin satisfied before they pull the lever on election day so that more rational decision-making forces prevail on November 4th. Even the most conservative of commentators are turning on the ticket so I'm holding out hope.

People respond badly to being treated like idiots or children. I think the McCain-Palin camp underestimates the extent to which people won't be roiling mad when they peel back the covers to find they are being blatantly lied and condescended to. But for those who are already steaming mad, taking it out on the curiosity seekers will only have them turn their anger toward you (us) for being elitist and condescending. If we can instead find some degree of compassion for the curiosity, people will feel supported and heard by one camp, and lied to and misled by the other. THAT is the outcome we want.

We have our own brand to worry about.The next few weeks will both help define the outcome of the election and the ground on which a new administration can be built. If McCain's camp is trying to fuel a culture war and we respond by calling names, shaking heads, or using our own arguments against them we only reinforce the perception that we're elitist and detached, and reinforce the "down home" appeal of the other side. When Obama chose Biden as his running mate, he sacrificed some of the cool new brand he'd been building. As a leader, I think it was probably a good choice. As a market strategy it doesn't seem to be so great. Obama and Biden need to lure people back to their brand and give them something they are excited to be for.

Today, Obama has a new ad out that seeks to engage people in the substance of his plan for the country and refuses to engage in the pettiness of the last few weeks (his own Rubik's cube, McCain's so old ad probably didn't help matters). The "Two-Minute Address to the Nation" does a good job of showing people who Obama is and what he's about, and invites people to learn more about his detailed economic plan.



I find this message compelling and am proud of the honor and truthfulness it displays. It remains to be seen, though, whether it is enough to draw voters back to the Obama brand.