Political Brands, Home Pages and Swag

We don’t select who we vote for because of slogans.

Or do we?

At the climax of the last Presidential election I wrote that the man I now call Agent Orange did do one thing brilliantly. His catch phrase, woven into everything was “Make America Great Again.” Red Baseball caps with those words embroidered across the front were present on hundreds of heads at rallies including on top of the candidates comb over. Those words were emblazoned everywhere in the campaign.

Hillary had north of 14 different lines that seemed to appear and disappear like a magician’s stack of rabbits or doves. Her swag had not one item so iconic folks that could put her in office wanted to wear. 

There are two dozen politicians trying to become the democratic candidate for President in the 2020 election in the United States. None of them seem to understand  brand and how it is represented to garner votes.

The Brand of Politics is tribal

It always comes down to “Me and Mine against You and Yours.” The biggest tribe, focused on the right territory, wins. But before the election although each candidate has a small zealous base the election is won by the contender who can gather the most converts from the folks that have not yet sworn allegiance. Those folks need emotional reasons to go “All in.”

Every decision is emotional. Attraction comes from clearly presenting a slogan into which people can  inject their own meaning. Loyalty is generated by welcoming the new recruits and speaking to their desire for “someone who feels the way I do" about (pick a topic). That catch phrase must be consistent serving as the launching pad and the summation of a “stump speech.”

Inconsistency will destroy a brand every time.

• How can I trust you if you keep changing your mind?

• How can I trust you if you don’t let me put myself in your slogan

• How can I trust you if you don’t “get me”?

The 2020 election could be a little different.

Agent Orange’s old slogan asked followers to help accomplish a goal and gave a long nod to the fact that they thought something had been lost that they could help regain. It invited their concerns about the state of the country and accepted their xenophobic views as truth. It gave them a way to show their agreement in a socially acceptable way. It was a masterful way to bring them inside the tent and let them dawn their white robes again in secret.

Candidate Trump now has a baseball cap that says, “Keep America Great.” 

That doesn’t seem like much of a difference, but it can be huge. Why? It is not open to new followers that can give it a meaning that they want. It doesn’t speak to the concerns they still have. It is playing defense not offense. More importantly it is not emblazoned throughout the campaign. It only appears in small copy in a request for funding on the home page of the website.

Rinse, Repeat and lose.

Democratic Candidates are, for the most part, still following Hillary’s failed approach:

• No singular statement.

• No way for a voter to feel a part of something greater

• No iconic swag offer

There is no candidate selected at this date. Out of the contenders there are only five that appear to have a chance. They are, ranked by the latest national polls, as of Friday, October 18: Biden 31, Warren 21, Sanders 18, Harris 7, Buttigieg 6.

Their final slogans will probably be similar to what they are presenting now. Here is what each of them show on their web landing pages:

He does have coffee cup…a cup of Joe in the swag offering but all this slogan says to me is he is old.

Warren:

Black and white video running under a dark blue overlay. Under the “I’m all in” button there is this copy: “I’m not sure yet.” How’s that for being sure and singular?

Sanders:

Unfortunately, the "Not me. Us" is not carried through. It is not on the merchandise offered on the site. It is on nothing!

Harris:

Let’s hide the slogan in the photo and put a headline here that invites no one in. But the slogan is everywhere in the swag and she is the only candidate  that has done this so far.

Buttigieg:

Mayor Pete is, I believe, running out of time.

Who will emerge victorious?

I don’t know. Right now the only one with the grace to invite the electorate to the party is Bernie. If Warren doesn’t get help in a hurry ,her campaign, in my view, will continue to slide. Harris is probably too far back but she might show up on the ticket as a VP. Here’s a prediction: Joe will not get the Democratic nomination.

And so it goes

Jerry Fletcher is a sought-after International Speaker, a beBee ambassador, founder and CEO of Z-axis Marketing, Inc.

His consulting practice, founded in 1990, is known for on and off-line Trust-based Consultant Marketing and Brand development advice that builds businesses, careers and lives of joy.

Consulting: www.JerryFletcher.com
Speaking: www.NetworkingNinja.com