Virginia Tomorrow

Message development is a huge, worldwide business.  Corporations spend billions on it annually.

Of course, message is conveyed by language, the most powerful tool available to a political campaign-easily more powerful than money-yet campaigns often give it short shrift. 

At base level, message development is not complicated.  The most effective messages have three characteristics in common.

Let’s suppose I say to you, in Portugese, “Nenhum imposto de carro.”

Let’s suppose I say the same thing to you in Norwegian, “Ingen bilskatt.”

 Okay, let’s try in in French:  “Aucun impot de voiture”. 

Not a lot of resonance going on is there?

Now let’s suppose I translate this Portuguese, this Norwegian and this French into English:

 ”No Car Tax.” 

(Gilmore’s signature message remains, easily, the best, most effective example of political messaging I’ve ever seen.)

This is Characteristic Number One of an effective message:  It must be understood by the intended recipient.  You must use a language that your audience understands.

What is Characteristic Number Two?  Good messaging answers the un-asked question.  Typically the question begins with the word ‘why.’  Why vote for me?  Why buy this brand of gasoline?  Why Ford instead of Chevrolet?  Good messaging answers the un-asked ‘why’ question.

If Jim Gilmore goes into a closet, shuts the door, cuts the light out, and whispers, “No car tax,” does that get him elected governor?

No-of course not. 

Characteristic Number Three of effective messaging is effective dissemination.  They must be targeted effectively. 

Henry Howell’s son-Howling Henry-whose message was ‘Keep the big boys honest’-sent me a pamphlet of his father’s sayings some time back. 

Here’s what Howling Henry had to say on the danger of spending insufficient funds on television:

“If it takes a thousand butterbeans to make the water flow over the bathtub, there’s no use dropping in four.  All you do is waste four perfectly good butterbeans.”

Effective messaging must address its intended audience in language the audience understands, it must answer the un-asked “why” question, and it must be targeted effectively.

Why even be concerned with messaging?  Why bother with it? 

Here’s why.

If you don’t give people a story and an image with which to identify with the story, they make one up.  Their imaginations do not remain void and empty.  Campaigns either help folks with this story, or they will do it on their own.  Smart campaigns want to help in this department.

Consider the City of Cleveland.

How many of you have ever heard of anyone retiring to Cleveland?  Why is that?  What is the image?  What do you think when you think of Cleveland?

You see, the City of Cleveland has left its image to your own devices.  Campaigns do this at their peril.

Let’s think a minute about targeting.  Who do you send your message to, and how do you do that?

Remember, if you will, the Archer Daniels Midland commercials from a few years ago?  You know the ones I’m talking about.  There is a big wheat field.  There are a couple of quail in the foreground.  There is a big machine harvesting wheat in the background.  The closing tag line is something like: “ADM, supermarket to the world.”

Who was the target for that message? 

It was not the consumer.  It was not you and me.  ADM was not trying to get you and me to rush out and buy a bag of soybeans.  That commercial was targeted squarely at the policy-makers-at the politicians. 

And what was the message? 

“Leave us the hell alone.  We know what we’re doing.”

Campaigns that understand messaging and know the power of language have a powerful advantage. 

You don’t think language matters? 

The Association of Trial Lawyers of America last year re-named itself-now get this-The American Association For Justice. 

Took them long enough, but they finally “got” it.

Professional marketers and B-Schools around the country will tell you about a thing called “Push-Pull Strategy.” Some companies use one or the other.  Some use both.  A “pull” strategy tries to capitalize on existing demand.  It pulls a consumer to an existing product.  A ‘push’ strategy essentially tries to create demand for something that really doesn’t exist yet-a new product.  Or a new governor.

The pharmaceutical companies are the best in the world at “push-pull.”  Think about the ads you see for new drugs-for new prescription drugs.  These are products that the consumer cannot just go out and buy.  They require a doctor’s prescription.  This is classic ‘Push Strategy.’  These commercials push the consumer to ask the doctor-who will order up the samples and write the prescriptions.

(I noticed a new one over the weekend, a commercial for a new, prescription-only, depression medication named “Prestique.”  With just one word, mental illness is given glamour, prestige, and pleasing uniqueness!   Genius at work!  These folks understand the power of language.)

So what about our friends, Deeds and McDonnell?  Which campaign best understands messaging, which best knows and appreciates the incredible power of language?  Which one doesn’t have a clue?  Which one is following the Cleveland Strategy?

Hmmmm.

I”ll get back to you on that one.