Translating Political Messages

 by Steve Fradkin, Political Communications Consultant

Have you ever wondered why…

…people get re-elected despite terrible performance ratings?

…campaign ads seem to focus on everything but the issues?

…so many ads from one campaign talk only about the opponent?

…candidates seem to never really answer the questions in “debates?”

…experience doesn’t seem to matter?

Well, you’re not alone.

“Negative” campaigning

While “negative” campaigning is nothing new in American politics (the 1800 race between Adams and Jefferson is one of the most notorious) it is the most ubiquitous form of political message in use today.  And deplore it as we may, it works.

Why?  Because political communication works best when it moves people emotionally.  “By appealing to another’s emotions rather than their intellect,” says David Romanelli in his article Emotions: How to Tune Into Them, “you are much more likely to trigger a response.”

1. In no part of the campaign is anyone trying to educate you.

2.      Ads are designed to move you (many say nothing about the sponsoring candidate).

3.      Articles are written by reporters and editors, often with sensationalism and juicy bits of non-issue data.

4.      Broadcast sound-bites are edited to prove the reporter’s or editor’s point.

5.      Debates are restricted in length (can you explain a complete economic program in just 90 seconds?) and the answers usually consist of 10% response to the question and 90% prepared text, loosely related (or not) to the subject.

So you can’t really take the messages at face value.  You expect they will help you know something, but political consultants are carefully crafting those messages to make you feel something.

Translating the ads

So how can we translate the emotion-laden messages into something logical, factual and meaningful?

1. Find materials written by the candidates themselves (such as Barack Obama’s The Audacity of Hope, or Mitt Romney’s No Apology: Believe in America).
2. Pay attention to how what you hear or see makes you feel (such emotions as fear, pride, optimism, confusion, warmth, amusement, anger, skepticism, curiosity, confidence, etc.)
3. Note the tone (nasty, humorous, tabloid-sounding) and content (what’s the ad about?).  They can have a significant emotional impact.  Once you identify the feelings, separate them from the information (if there is any).
4. Check who sponsors the advertising.  When the tag says “Paid for and authorized by the [candidate’s name] Committee” or the candidate says “I approved this message” you know (s)he has seen and approved of the ad.  But many ads are placed by PACs or other independent groups.  The candidates have no say in the content or tone.
5. Go to the candidates’ websites (such as MittRomney.com or BarackObama.com), and read the “Issues” sections.
6. If you get an email, check out its validity on snopes.com (type a few key words into the “Search” section).  The many “urban legends” floating around are often quite hateful and/or untrue.
7. Be suspicious of sensationalist claims (sex scandals, shady dealings, etc.).  Most of them are either fabrications, exaggerations or distortions.
8. On debates, pay more attention the how the candidate responds than what (s)he says.  His/her ability to think on the spot, his/her demeanor and style, his/her knowledge of the facts, may tell you more than his/her words or slips of the tongue (s)he might make.

Finally, remember that no system of electing public officials is perfect.  As many defects as there are in our system, it is still the best on earth.  Ours is the oldest continually operating government in the world, and for good reason.  Learn what you can, and then go vote on November 6^th.

Steve Fradkin has provided message strategy and/or implementation for over 175 campaigns.  He is the president of the Canton (MA) advertising agency, The Wizard of Adz, Inc.

The Sesame Street Diet?

By Steve Fradkin, President
The Wizard of Adz

Reliable statistics prove conclusively that people who watch Sesame Street regularly weigh considerably less than the population at large.  Amazing!

Does this mean you should embark on a Sesame Street diet?  Of course not.  People who watch Sesame Street regularly are four years old, and they weigh 20 pounds — way less than the population at large.

Just one example of statistics that tell the truth but mean absolutely nothing.

Another example is when your uncle tells you he loved your ad, or when your neighbor tells you she saw you on TV.  Do these mean your advertising is working?  That it’s effective?

Again, of course not.  We love our friends and family, but they don’t represent a cross-section of our market.  What matters is results.

In order to determine whether your decisions about advertising are right, it’s important to monitor those decisions and the results they produce.  In general, there are three types of measurement available for advertising.  They are:

·        Pre-testing — testing of concepts or specific ad executions before publication, using focus groups or other scientific methods.

·        Post-testing — determination of awareness and readership levels using studies designed to measure these factors.

·        Results — determining sales increases, number of inquiries, coupon redemptions, etc.

Testing is expensive.  A single concept test, for example, could cost thousands of dollars.  It probably makes no sense for you to invest in this sort of testing; the investment simply does not justify the potential return.

But you can carefully monitor where new customers are coming from, and determine which messages work best.  Here’s how:

·        Ask.  Instruct personnel to ask, “How did you find out about us?” or “Have you seen our mailing?” and to keep careful record of the responses.  A short intake form indicating name, company, title, town and source of inquiry can facilitate this record-keeping.

·        Key Codes.  On response forms or cards, codes can identify the sources.  A key code of B, for example, can tell you that the response came from the second mailing.  For verbal responses, have the respondent ask for “extension 2” or “department 2.”  Separate email addresses could be used for each ad.  Discount coupons in print ads can also be coded.

·        Electronic responses, such as hyperlinks, email replies, QRC codes, etc., can be individualized by source and/or message.

·        Specific offers.  You can also change the offer in each promotion (or the way in which the customer asks for the offer), which will help you identify the source of the customer.  For example, one mailing might feature a promotion called “Business Success Stories,” and the other may feature the same promotion but called “Keys to Better Accounting.”

We can help you, too — help you design effective and valid ways to judge your advertising results, and make adjustments to improve them.  Look at some of the results we’ve achieved on our new website WizardOfAdz.com (click on Strategic Case Histories.)

Then, let us evaluate your specific situation with you, and tell you how we can help you maximize your advertising impact.  Call Sharon at 781-821-1818 or email Sharon@WizardOfAdz.com today.

Grey Matters

By Steve Fradkin, President
The Wizard of Adz

According to the US Census Bureau, adults 50+ represent 37% of the 18+ population.  Demographic trends associated with the aging of the baby boomer population, plus gains in longevity, will grow the 50+ market to over 106 million by 2015 when they will account for 45% of the adult population.  Seniors are, and will become even more so, a social, political and marketing, force to be reckoned with and, hence, a very attractive community to a range of advertisers and marketing sponsors.

This rapid growth has already begun to occur.  There has been exponential growth among seniors across the nation.  According to the census report, the US senior population increased by 15.1% between 2000 and 2010, while the population in general only increased by 9.7%.

And the senior market is a lucrative one.  The United States Mature Market…

·        Is the most affluent of any age segment

·        Accounts for 60% of all healthcare spending, 74% of all prescription drugs, 51% of all over-the-counter drugs

·        Acquires 41% of all new cars

·        Purchases 25% of all toys

·        Accounts for 80% of all luxury travel

Adults 50+ control a household net worth of $19 trillion, own more than ¾ of the nation's financial wealth, hold 70% of all money market accounts and certificates of deposit assets and have an income per capita that is 26% higher than the national average.

Whatever you’re marketing — financial services, retirement communities, health care, automobiles, insurance, nursing homes, vacation destinations and services — seniors represent an increasingly important target for you.

But talking effectively to seniors is a whole different ballgame.

·        We helped a retirement community sell out 70% before groundbreaking (a national sales record).

·        We helped a 100-year-old bank triple in size in just 7 years.

·        We helped a dietary supplement maker pull more inquiries than any other ad in the magazine.

We can help you, too — help you reach the growing, lucrative senior marketplace.  To see some of our case histories, check out our new website WizardOfAdz.com and click on Strategic Case Histories.

Let us evaluate your specific situation with you, and tell you how we can help you reach your target market better.  Call Sharon at 781-821-1818 or email Sharon@WizardOfAdz.com today,

And now the GOOD news

by Steve Fradkin, President
The Wizard of Adz

Do you know the difference between a “recession” and a “depression?”  When all the businesses all around have dropped in sales and have had to lay off employees and cut management salaries to the bone — that’s a “recession.”  When a customer walks out of MY business without buying something — that’s a “depression.”

OK, so we’re in a recession.  I know, you’ve been feeling it.  And yet, some of our clients are going straight out.  One called to say he was so busy, he hadn’t had time to do his office work.  Another said she had 9 inquiries (4 of which became new clients) on the first day she appeared in the newspaper.

Why?  Because they’ve learned a few little tricks to marketing during a recession — we call it “moving up in a down economy.”

If you’re like many small-business execs, you’ve tightened your belt a few notches and figure you’ll ride out the storm.  Just when you need more business, you’ve slashed your advertising budget (maybe eliminated it entirely).  To save money, you’ve dropped out of networking groups and chambers of commerce.  Maybe you’ve even let your best salesperson go because you can’t afford that big draw when, after all, there’s “no business out there.”

That’s like removing the floorboards of your lifeboat to keep it from sinking.

As a marketer, you know that.  So what’s a business-owner to do?

·        First, analyze your market and determine what it is your customers need in an economic downturn, and then adjust your offerings.  For example, if you’re a contractor who does major renovations (room additions, garages, etc.), try promoting smaller, less costly projects (siding, roofing, closet re-making).  When fewer people are buying homes, more of them are remodeling.

·        Cut your advertising budget (what?!?!?) and still get valuable and widespread notice.  We’ve enabled a number of our clients to get articles written about them in major daily newspapers, complete with color photos and contact information, with zero media cost.  One 2-page color spread in the Patriot Ledger was worth over $8,000 and it cost our client nothing more than for our professional services.

·        Check out some of the media rates that are significantly cut —because of the recession, because national advertisers have cut back, and because the heavy-buying political and holiday times are over.  You may be amazed at how inexpensively you can reach your target market, if you buy right.

·        Get in on the new “free” media.  Emails, websites, “viral” marketing, “social” on-line communities — one or more of these may be right for you, and your investment is just the work it takes to get it done.  The benefits go on and on and on, at little or no cost!

·        Finally, do it yourself (what, again?!?!?).  Maybe you’re adept at desktop publishing, or you have a sister-in-law who designs fliers for her PTA.  What you need is a professional marketing analysis and strategies for target marketing, product positioning, media selection, and so on.  We have prepared dozens of these reports, and many of our clients have been able to take the report and produce really convincing advertising and brochures.

Here’s the best news.  If you can keep your business thriving, perhaps even increase your market share and visibility, you’ll come out ahead when the recession is over.  History is full of big-business examples (even dating back to the Great Depression), and it will work for you too.

Don’t just “ride out the storm.”  Use the waves and wind to get you where you want to go.  We’ve seen many economic downturns in over 30 years in business, and we have helped many of our clients “move up in a down economy.”

Don’t just survive…thrive!  Call Sharon at The Wizard of Adz (781-821-1818) or email Sharon@WizardOfAdz.com.

Advertising for Less Business?

by Steve Fradkin, President
The Wizard of Adz

Ask anyone why they advertise and the answer will almost invariably be “to sell stuff.”  But not always.

Obviously, there are many reasons to advertise.  To introduce a new product.  To make people think better of your company.  To counteract bad publicity.  To encourage a specific action (such as writing your Congressman).  Lots of reasons.

But advertise for less business?

I once worked for a booking agency that represented some of the most famous speakers in the world.  Every now and then, one of them would ask me: “Everybody knows who I am.  I have all the speaking engagements I can handle.  Why would I need a brochure?”

The answer was easy: for less business.  By stimulating demand for a product or service with limited supply, the price goes up.  Prices up = less demand.  So, with less business, the speaker — or, perhaps, your company — can make more money.  If you were a speaker, wouldn’t you rather do ten engagements at, say, $10,000 each than twenty at $5,000 each, even though the money was the same?

This is all part of determining your advertising strategy.  This strategy is determining the role of your advertising — the part your advertising will play in your total marketing plan.  OK, maybe you don’t want your advertising to lower your unit sales.  But consider these possibilities:

You want your advertising to produce leads that your sales staff can follow up.

You want your advertising to make prospects aware of your product, so your salespeople will at least encounter a “yeah, I’ve heard of that” when they cold-call.

You want your advertising to generate traffic, so you can parlay a small sale or giveaway into a larger sale.

Determining the role of advertising is just one of many strategies companies skip or don’t even think of.  That’s why our advertising — Strategy-Driven Creative Advertising — is so successful.  Give us 15 minutes of your time, and let us show you how these and other strategies play out — and how we can help you do less business, or as much business as you’d like.  Call Sharon at The Wizard of Adz (781-821-1818) or email Sharon@WizardOfAdz.com.

Newspaper Advertising for Political Campaigns?

I know.  Conventional wisdom says nobody reads newspapers any more.  TV — that’s the place to be.

And the fact is that newspaper circulation is in decline, according to Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.  An article published by Journalism.org (The Project for Excellence in Journalism) said, “…the problem now appears to be more than fewer people developing the newspaper habit.  People who used to read every day now read less often.  Some people who used to read a newspaper have stopped altogether.  Today, just more than half of Americans (54 percent) read a newspaper during the week, somewhat more (62 percent) on Sundays, and the number is continuing to drop.”

But conventional wisdom isn’t always so wise when it comes to political advertising.  Consider a recent study by the Newspaper Association of America reported in the June issue of Campaigns and Elections.  It found that more than half (57 percent) of voters say they experience some level of indecision in the final week or days before an election.  Of those who say they experience indecision, three out of four say they are regular newspaper readers.

75% of "undecideds" read the paper.  And they rely on the paper to help them make their decisions.

The same study on political advertising discovered newspaper ads were considered the most credible medium for political ads by Republicans and Democrats alike. The survey shows that when asked to rank each medium using a 10-point believability scale, 32 percent of voters said political ads in newspapers were more believable than those found in brochures and mailings (27 percent), on network TV (26 percent), on cable TV (25 percent) and on the radio (22 percent).

Newspaper ads offer several advantages over those on broadcast and cable media.  For example:

• Readers can pick up newspapers whenever and wherever they want, and the ads are always right with the content.  Broadcast programming is either on when it’s on, or delayed by tape or TiVo (which essentially eliminates the ads altogether).
• Newspaper advertising is generally a destination, not an interruption.  An NAA study showed that half the voters go to their papers specifically to look for ads.  Of these, 82% are looking for ads once a week or more.  55% of late-deciders go to their papers specifically to look for ads, 85% more than once a week.
• Production costs for print advertising are far lower than those of broadcast ads.
• Short deadlines, unlimited media inventory and fast production mean that print advertising can be more current and more relevant to late-breaking developments in a campaign.

And of course, newspaper advertising can be bought locally or regionally for maximum efficiency.

We’ve got the experience and track record you need — scores of political campaigns (with a 70% win ratio) and decades of specialization in political print advertising — to help your campaign.  For ads, brochures, mailers, palm cards, stickers, and so on…you should be off to see The Wizard!

Don’t Call Us “Creative”

By Steve Fradkin, President
The Wizard of Adz

Pablo Picasso was creative.  He took familiar objects, applied his imagination and vision, and produced images that were nearly unrecognizable.  If there was a message in a Picasso work, it was obscure and probably known only to the artist.

We’re not creative.  What we do is strategically planned and executed.  Our messages are clear and convincing.  There’s a big difference between “creative” and “communications.”

Oh sure, there are advertisements that are truly creative.

• The sock-puppet ads from Pets.com were truly creative.  But Pets.com stock tumbled over 98% from a high of $14 to just 25¢ when the company folded.
• The entertaining Gap ads were truly creative.  But the Gap Stores suffered 30 consecutive months of same-store sales declines when they ran.
• The “It’s Not Your Father’s Oldsmobile” campaign was truly creative.  But Olds’ sales dropped by 50% during the 2½ years of the campaign, and Oldsmobile is history.

When we set out on an advertising campaign, we don’t begin by “getting our creative juices flowing.”  We begin with a logical, systematic approach to determining four factors:

1.       We identify and define the target market for your product or service — the people most likely to initiate or make buying decisions (depending on how you sell), including their demographics, their attitudes, likes and dislikes, etc.

2.       We identify and define the characteristics of your company and/or your product or service that will separate you from your competitors and will most appeal to your target market.

3.       We determine the best media to reach your target market and the best ways to buy those media to fit your budget and marketing timeline.

4.       We craft a motivational strategy that takes into account what specifically will cause your prospect to accept your product or service — to consider making a change or trying what you have to sell — and to act on that attitude change by talking with you or ordering (again, depending on how you sell).

Then — and only then — do we set out to design innovative and eye-catching ways to express the message we have developed through our strategies.

Of course, it’s logical.  Of course it makes sense.  But you’d be amazed how many advertisers — and advertising professionals — judge advertising by how creative it is.  Maybe that’s why so many companies consider the money they allocate for advertising an “expense” — like their telephone bill or rent.  It is an expense if what you’re buying is “creative.”  When you’re buying “strategy,” it becomes an investment.

Don’t call us “creative.”  Call us “strategic.”  Most importantly, if you want to change your advertising “spending” into a sound investment, call us today.  To discuss your strategic approach to marketing your company — without obligation — call Sharon at The Wizard of Adz (781-821-1818) or email sharon@WizardOfAdz.com.