Marketing Viewpoint by Ruth Winett Eight Marketing Lessons from the 2022 Election Fortunately, when November and December fade into history, elections will have been decided and with them the daily deluge of robot calls and desperate emails seeking campaign contributions will end. Still, these past months have been instructive for marketers—primarily by illustrating what not to do! A good web presence is essential. Nobody will choose your candidate or your product if you have no presence on the web and in the media and if you don’t make clear what you have to offer, whether political platforms or products and services. Information matters. Your audience must know how to find your products or how and when to vote. Surprisingly, in the week before the election many people still did not know about the upcoming election, the candidates, and in some states did not understand referenda on their ballots. More is not better. Overexposure can backfire. People eventually block annoying daily emails from candidates seeking donations; hang up on robot calls; discard redundant campaign literature; and mute insurance and drug ads on TV. Desperate appeals also do not work but make candidates and companies seem weak and inadequate. Extravagant pre-sales or pre-election promises commit people to delivering the impossible—whether refrigerators that last 20 years or impossibly large tax cuts. Money helps candidates and marketing campaigns, but it is not sufficient if "there is no there there." Candidates and companies must stand for something that people want. Relationships matter. Whether you are selling your candidacy or a widget or customer services, you must connect with your audience. Effective candidates mingle with the crowds, and effective salespeople strive to establish genuine relationships with prospects. Gimmicks seldom work. Neither do weird birds in insurance ads. What works: offering something that will benefit voters or customers; reaching prospective voters or customers in an honest, realistic way, but not over-saturating the airwaves or the Internet. Differentiating yourself from the competition is also essential. Nevertheless, external factors, such as inflation, the War in Ukraine, and product shortages can color the situation and challenge salespeople and candidates, who after all are selling themselves. Best wishes for a Happy and Healthy 2023!Actionable Business Insights Copyright ©12/22 Ruth Winett. All rights reserved.
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