How many times have you heard someone say some version of the following?
“Republicans are right on the issues but they’re lousy at messaging.”
Marketing and copywriting guru Dan Kennedy writes about how Scott Adams, of comic “Dilbert” fame, explains the secret of Donald Trump’s success in this department…
“In politics, a ‘stone’ is: policy. Or: economics. Things that must be explained…in challenging detail. Policy wonks and explainers like Gore and Kerry … in Trump’s primary, Jeb Bush … are always frustrated and mad as hell at the public and, ultimately, failures because they insist on trying to make people patiently consider stones.
“Scott Adams predicted Trump’s win early – as I did. Adams told an interviewer: ‘When I saw Trump’s early speeches, I recognized technique that would be invisible to other people. In my 20s I trained to by a hypnotist, which is about visualized ideas. Trump uses VISUAL LANGUAGE. He talks about the wall, not about immigration policies or multi-faceted border management. He’ll talk about specific criminals, not about the problems of crime or about crime policy.’”
You don’t have to like Trump or his policies to appreciate – and consider emulating – his extremely successful messaging abilities.
Cheers!
Dr. Chuck Muth, PsD
THE CAMPAIGN DOCTOR
Professor of Psephology*
(homeschooled)
* Psephology (see-follow-gee): The study of campaigns and elections