The Voice of the People

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• Great writers all have what critics call Voice. In their writings there are characteristics that are undeniably no one else.

  Groups of people present a similar phenomenon.  Things can be said in unique ways to approach any idea you want to present to them. Copywriters know this. They imbibe the rich flavor of words bent just right to convince and persuade. They use the phrases that are natural to the audience to bring that tribe into the fold.

  Speakers, too, can work this magic. The words of one who understands the cadence, the rhythm and the nuances of his/her audience can weave a palpable spell. He or she knows they are not looking for originality. What is sought is not a new idea but rather substantiation of conclusions reached earlier. Folks are interested in a familiar conversation more than a fancy commercial.

  Emotion overpowers Logic

  The single thing that grabs people’s attention is emotion.

  • Martin Luther King said, “I have a dream…”
  • Ronald Reagan said: " All great change in America begins at the dinner table." 
  • Hitler said, “I use emotion for the many and reserve reason for the few.
    

• Those three men had tremendous impact on humankind. Hitler is responsible for one of the most devastating wars of all time. Reagan gave the conservative movement a beginning in the USA although he was more of a pragmatist than the current administration would agree with, particularly regarding human rights and immigration.

  Martin Luther King filled the mall in Washington and spoke of his hopes for the country he loved.

  None of them were overcome with the idea of presenting research or statistics or logic trains to convince us to look at their ideas. They went with visually powerful, emotionally laced concrete examples to get us to agree.

  Sunlight in the shadows.

  There is a reason we have our current president in the USA. He, and his supporters brought sunlight into the shadows. Frankly emotional stands allowed others that felt, thought and believed the same way to openly say what they held to be the truth for the first time in a long while. It gave them a chance to pull beliefs that had been “under wraps” into the open. They could now vent without fear of being put upon. They found others that were of the same mind.

  Their leader gave them a slogan that went straight to the views they held, the ones that they believed were being overlooked and dismissed.

  Meanwhile, the opposition, ever divided into smaller and smaller groups bent on getting their way for a single issue, tried to logic the masses into submission.

  It didn’t work.

  It doesn’t stand a chance.

  Issue slogans suck.

  Here are the slogans the past three Presidential winners used:

  · Make America Great Again The current Whitehouse resident

  · Forward Barack Obama 2012

  · Hope Barack Obama 2008

  · A Safer World and a More Hopeful America George W. Bush 2004

  · Compassionate Conservatism George W. Bush 2000 

• Someone did their homework

• Reagan’s slogan in 1980 was: Let’s make America Great again. In 1936 the words that elected Franklin Roosevelt were: Forward with Roosevelt. The single word Hope was used by Obama to follow on Bush’s More Hopeful America. And the current president has been known to speak of Compassionate Conservatism.

  It’s too late.

  It is too late for the Democratic party to find a singular slogan or Brand for the 2018 mid-term elections. But if they can get out of their heads and into their guts between now and 2020 we may see a real battle for the voice of the people. If not, pray for an unknown to explode on the scene like Barack did.

  I’d like all Americans to be heard and once again find compromise instead of polarity.

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• Jerry Fletcher is a sought-after International Speaker, a beBee ambassador, founder and Grand Poobah of www.BrandBrainTrust.com

  His consulting practice, founded in 1990, is known for Trust-based Brand development, Positioning and business development for independent professionals on and off-line.

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

• DIY Training: www.ingomu.com