With the political conventions upon us, to nominate candidates for President of the United States, and the slew of campaign commercials set to convince voters who to support, we should remember these lessons in marketing, that the candidates teach us, each year:
- Stay on message.
- Don’t be afraid to speak your mind, but remember who you are talking to and who is listening.
- Empower your stakeholders to do something each time you engage them.
- Guard your reputation, in the end, it is all you have.
- Build a brand in way that resonates across generations and parties. Voters are like shoppers, many vote/buy on impulse once they are in the voting booth.
- Create trust before you need it.
- Budget accordingly – issues, media relations, messaging and research staffing can be expensive in politics and in the business arena.
- To build trust – Convey credibility through a vision, mission and values, early and often.