Ignoring the sage advice to never talk about politics or religion, you’ll be reading about the former in Dave Beasing’s newest edition of "Buzz." Here’s Dave’s "take" on the marketing of a hot presidential candidate:
Whether or not you’d ever support Illinois Senator Barack Obama, you have to admit that his candidacy represents a fascinating marketing brand. How many other product launches have benefited from some of these same characteristics?
New Product Halo – Senator Obama’s lack of a track record on the national stage means he has no "baggage." For voters seeking someone new and different, he hasn’t yet shown some of the negative tendencies of most politicians. Pundits calculate that this may have factored in his decision to run for President now rather than wait until later in his career.
Any product is only new once. That time represents a tremendous window of opportunity, when optimists believe you’re capable of everything good. Use your new product halo. You will eventually lose it.
All Things to All People – "People see in [Obama] what they want to see," says Cassandra Butts in Rolling Stone. Opposing candidates will try to force him to take positions on difficult issues, knowing that each will displease nearly as many people as it pleases.
Optimism – On ABC’s This Week, Cokie Roberts observed that what really separates Obama from the other candidates is "that smile" and his optimistic stump speech. Actor George Clooney is among those who say Obama reminds him of John or Bobby Kennedy, eulogized for having said, ""Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not."
A Story Line – When Obama was running for the U.S. Senate, a 70 year-old woman at a focus group listened intently to his life story for the first time. She clasped her hand to her chest and exclaimed, "Be still my heart!" As pollster Paul Harstad tells Rolling Stone, "I’ve been doing this for a quarter century and I’ve never seen that."
Humility – During his announcement speech, Obama admitted "a certain audacity" to his Presidential campaign. That line was widely quoted because humility is so unusual in a politician. Could you imagine John Kerry saying such a thing?
The Underdog Effect – Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a Republican presidential candidate, says that fellow Arkansan Bill Clinton – someone with whom Huckabee has mostly disagreed – is, nevertheless, "an affirmation of the American dream. Don’t ever take that away from a kid growing up in this country." Just as Clinton reminded impoverished Americans of his humble beginnings, Barack Obama’s candidacy gives hope to many Americans to overcome steep odds every day.
Be sure to check out the entire Buzz From Beasing at ik9.5f7.myftpupload.com.
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Obama, the Brand