I have come to the conclusion that the crop of marketing and strategy development people looking after the current crop of Canberra wallies are about as useful as Harold Holts flippers.
After watching a host of political advertising last night, even on the ABC, (heaven help us, is there no refuge) I realised as well that:
- I am either a cynical old bastard, or the marketing and strategy people who “advise” our pollies think we are all truly, truly stupid enough to believe the patronising, paternalistic slogans they are delivering after the shenanigans of the last decade, and that,
- We are all so cynical, and feel so betrayed by our so called political leaders, simply because of years of shitty marketing.
Well, I am a marketing consultant, so you would expect that may influence the way I see things.
Consider what both leaders of the big parties are doing, although I do not exclude the dills from the edges who are at least as loopy.
After a decade of slight of hand, ducking responsibility, blame shifting, non-core promises, and outright bullshit, they now tell us what they are going to do, and expect us to believe it, and run to the ballot box in joy.
They tell us what they are going to do this time around, (while pouring scorn on the other lot, with access to exactly the same information), but do not tell us how they are going to do it, or why it is important.
This is a commodity sales pitch based on the political equivalent of sticker price, and we all know that commoditization and brand building, which necessarily includes trust based on behavioral standards are mutually exclusive.
Where is the value proposition?
When you think of really great marketing, it is based on explaining “Why“. The classic Apple ‘Think Different” commercial which set the tone of Apple brand building until very recently. Owning an “Apple” meant something, it conveyed a Why. It is not a computer, or an ipod, ipad, it is an “Apple”. Surely there are enough examples of great marketing around that they could have learnt something?
Is it so hard for someone to at least try to articulate the “why” they deserve our vote, the value they put on it, and how they will use it to build a better place for us, and our children?
