PRACTICE MARKETING blog

First, number 1: When I donated to President Obama’s campaign, I didn’t receive any collaterals (e.g., bumper stickers, t-shirts, pins, etc.) to showcase either my donation or adoration. I suppose I was as vocal without this minor expense; regardless, the Obama campaign did miss out on an opportunity with millions of others: silent, passive viral marketing. Perhaps I was a small oversight (commensurate with the donation?).

President Obama’s governance scorecard is debatable… he’s only 50 days in. His policies, including the Stimulus Package and the Budget, are also debatable… I’ll leave that up to the pundits and politicians. More than administration, Obama is making a major marketing mistake.

Obama’s Marketing Mistake #2 is more serious: We all remember the defining vision of Obama’s campaign; it is best summed up in his 1-liner: Yes We Can (‘hope’ and ‘change’ being other handles). What is the defining vision for this country that Obama has provided us?

We don’t have a clear vision articulated in a simple battle-cry (a 1-liner). What is the flag we can wave, that the media can splash? What is the 1-liner that clearly defines where Obama is taking us? Sure he may be trying to reform all 5 areas; that’s operations… Ironically, Obama’s not selling it with catchy rhetoric (thankfully he’s back to the optimism).

The closest we’ve got is Recovery.gov… and that’s not visionary, it’s disciplinary.

Culture change begins with a paradigm shift; an emotionally resonant affirmation. Such empty words are then filled with day-to-day actions. What is our paradigm shift? What are our day-to-day actions?

FDR gave us the New Deal. Johnson gave us the Great Society. Even Newt gave us the Contract with America. Kennedy’s “Man on the Moon within 10 years” would even qualify, as it rallied a segment of the nation.

I’m out of examples… what other defining visions have Presidents given us?

What could Obama give us? How about “Re-energize America”? Got anything better?

How does this relate to marketing our practices?

As leaders of our practice (partners, associates, staff) and leaders of our community (clients, colleagues, centers of influence)… we must provide an affirmative 1-liner – “bullets” that can be used at trigger points, to talk about us. Can we boil our boring 30-second elevator pitch into a catchy 1-liner? Yes We Can.