The (Best) Worse Negative Political Campaigns

Today as I watched television, I endured a large amount of negative political advertising. Most of the negativity was aimed at political opponents and/or issues that I will be voting for on November 4th (will that day please come already). One thing struck me as odd, why do politicians continue to utilize negative campaigning? This type of campaigning, has been proven very effective especially when the attacker is weaker (or has less to offer) than the victim.

This got me to thinking, what are the worst negative political campaigns of all-time?

The Daisy Ad

The has to be one of the most chilling negative campaigns (considering the times) ever. Lyndon Johnson was able to pander fear in order to defeat Barry Goldwater in 1964

This has to be the most effective ad ever. With the rise of the Soviet Union at the time, this was a realistic fear which scared people into voting.

John McCain’s Black baby

Shortly after John McCain beat George Bush in the 2000 Republican primary in New Hampshire, a whisper campaign was started in South Carolina. The campaign was spread via a phony poll that asked Republican voters “Whether or not they would vote for McCain if he fathered a illegitmate Black child.” The simple accusation was enough to turn the tide and power a Bush win in South Carolina, and eventually, the Republican nomination.

McCain’s whisper campaign against Barack Obama most likely got it roots from this event. The Bush administration honed in on McCain’s dark-skinned adopted child to plant the seed of doubt in voters minds. One of many instances were race has been used to discredit someone.

The Willie Horton ad

George Bush Sr invoked this commercial to defeat Michael Dukakis in the 1988 presidential election.  It helped power Dukakis defeat as many envisioned him as soft on crime.

This was an effective use of many Americans worse nightmare, the Black felon. Like the daisy ad, this preys on Americans inner most fear, that of insecurity. Associating this fear with a candidate helped dismantle the credibility that Dukakis had built. Would this ad had been effective if the individual was another race? It played on stereotypes, and people instantly made the connection.

Swift Boat

After 2004′s presidential election, negative attacks earned a new name “Swift Boating”. Kerry’s military service was attacked and he was accused of being unpatriotic. Many people believe this is what powered Bush Jr into his second term.

Overall, the campaign was effective because it discredited Kerry’s ability to handle the war in Iraq, at least to the common man. He was seen as a traitor, and some one that the American people could not trust.

Hopefully, in the next two weeks neither presidential canadidate will resort to negative campaign to bolster their chances of winning. What about taking a page from product/service advertising? I truly believe that people want messages of hope, not fear. The daisy ad, in my opinion was the (best) worse political ad because it connected with people’s innermost fears, harm upon our children. Now take the poll and tell me what you think!

2 Ways to Build A Brand As Strong As Nike

While watching football this past Sunday, I stumbled across Nike’s newest commercial Leave Nothing sandwiched between political ads. In my mind, it reinforced the company’s brand so well. After viewing the commercial I instantly wanted to achieve, on the football field.

What makes the Nike brand so great? Well quite frankly because most people “get it”. The brand has closely aligned itself with superior athletes. Unlike its chief competitor, Reebok, Nike continues to focus on excellence in athletics, and they continue to do it well. When building your own brand, there are three things that Nike does well, which could extend to any brand builder.

1. Focus on #1 – No one can be an expert at everything, so why try? The strongest brands consistently focus on their strengths for success. A good brand captures you mind in just a few words. If I asked you about “athletic excellence” you would probably think Nike. When you think about “family friendly entertainment” Disney is probably in your mind. Whether shaping the brand of your business, or your personal brand, focus will provide a clear path to success.
2. Build believers – What young person is not inspired by the stories that Nike has created? Tiger Woods and Lebron James are the latest athletes that have created a following thanks to Nike. These athletes have overcome odds to become successful. They have achieved excellence, and Nike has been there the whole time. Why would anyone be interested in a brand they can’t believe in? This is where most major brands miss the point. There is no compelling story to build the brand. This, in my opinion, is what the major cell phone brands lack, there are very few believers.

Although any great brand will require strategic planning and thought, emulating Nike could pay great dividends in building your brand. Leave Nothing!

Captain Morgan is Running for President

By now, most of American knows that Barack Obama, John McCain, and a slew of others are running for the presidency of the United States. Did you know, however, that Captain Morgan is running for President? Yes, this is Captain Morgan’s second time running for president (his first wasn’t that successful). According to Susan Gunelius’ blog, Brand Curve – Captain Morgan launched a new social media marketing campaign on August 22nd. The campaign includes content with social media heavyweights YouTube and Facebook. According to the Captain’s Facebook page, his interests include Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. What type of music does he like? LOUD. What is his solution for the economy? Two day workweeks (hmmm, that just might work). In a nutshell, Captain Morgan is doing his all to strengthen his brand image.

Captain Morgan’s parent company, Diageo, is the official wine and spirits company of the Republican National Convention and the preferred wine and spirits company of the Democratic National Convention according to Ad Age. The marketing campaign includes a costumed Captain Morgan who is making appearances at bars near both convention sites.

Overall, I think the campaign is fun and fresh. It definitely speaks volumes about the Captain Morgan brand. Here is what I think about the marketing campaign:

Value Proposition – Let’s see, Captain Morgan’s is fun. That is the only value proposition that I gather from this marketing campaign, and to be honest I guess that is what they are trying to project. It would be interesting to see Captain Morgan debating versus the other less fun spirits. It would coincide with real Presidential debate, and if position correctly, could be great for late night TV. Who can argue with two day work weeks?

Differentiation - With the reemergence of pirates in popular culture, a pirate, in and of itself is not hardly different. Captain Morgan, however, is very interesting. Bringing the Captain to life will help potential consumers connect fun and crazy with it’s brand. How about some “negative” ads about Captain Morgan? What if Captain Morgan had a scandal? These are a few ways that the brand managers could build on Captain Morgan’s differentiation. If does in fact speard well, it will go a long way to building the brand and awareness about the product.

Marketability – Most people in the target market might consider this cool, but why should they care? To extend this campaign the brand should try promotions to really drive home the point of the Captain Morgan brand. Why not have a contest or promotion via YouTube for Captain Morgan to pick a running mate? Not only would people like to be on YouTube, but they would quickly forward their video to family and friends as well.

Overall, I believe that the person (or people) that came up with this campaign have a really good idea. Although the campaign has not been a viral marketing star (only 300 supporters on Facebook, 6,500 views on YouTube) it has the ground work to really pick up, if they tweak it just a little bit. It is an interesting strategy to build brand awareness, especially for a product that has strong following. Check out Captain Morgan on YouTube:

Video: James Seay’s Develop Your Brand Workshop

Clips from a workshop that I have provided for hundreds of people interested in developing their personal brands.

Contact me at jseay1 [at] gmail.com for speaking inquiries. Enjoy!

Video: Controversial United Way Marketing Campaign!?

The United Way is committed to working to advance the common good of Americans by focusing on education, income, and health. As a State Auto Insurance employee, I have been involved with promoting and raising money for this organization for a number of years. Last year, however, United Way’s Milwaukee branch advanced what some thought was a controversial ad. The campaign was nearly halted by board members and other local leaders due to its difficult message. View the ad below and decide for yourself if the ad is controversial and how it may appeal to you.

Was this campaign effective?

Value Proposition

The imagery and music appeals to the inner man with use of the Hurricane Katrina example. Every American is familiar with that disaster, and using it to exploit the problems in Milwaukee are exemplified. This promotes the value of investing with United Way, and ultimately the community at large. While the United Way is not selling a product, they are selling hope and the combination of the frightening Katrina spot and positive follow up provides an excellent incentive for people to volunteer and/or donate.

Differentiation

This campaign differs for most other United Way marketing efforts. It reaches out by exposing the ugliness of its own community. While Hurricane Katrina will forever be remember as one of the worse diasters in America history, it sheds light on an oft overlooked problem in one’s on backyard. This differentiation separates it from messages of hope that have usually been the focus.

Marketibility

The campaign does an excellent job at reaching its target market, you and I. It sells hope in a way that will capture your attention. No one wants there community to fail, and Milwaukee donated more money than all but one community after 9/11. The “negative” ad, which was followed by one of hope was very well placed.

My Assessment

Milwaukee’s United Way did an excellent job delivering its message to make the world a better place, but still feel short of it’s goal by $3.5 million dollars. For such an excellent campaign, what went wrong. If I were the one running this marketing campaign, I would have pursued the same route with a few minor tweaks.

• Media outlets – I can’t find enough on the web about this latest campaign. Using social media (i.e. Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and blogs) the campaign could have achieved the considerable results. Consider how quickly social media persuaded many in the case of the Jena Six. The message was accelerated with social media and without the support of a formal marketing campaign, people joined to raise over $500,000. By utilizing word of mouth techniques, the important message would grow at a exponential rate.
• Email Marketing – I am unsure whether or not there was an accompanying email marketing campaign. This, however, would have made a huge difference as a supplement to the social media. Sending periodic updates, with supporting video via email could have captured the benefits of the controversial ad.

Overall, the United Way is doing an excellent job at raising money for those services that we need the most. I anticipate the organizations newest marketing campaign Live United with great interest. I encourage you to donate your time or money in helping this organization succeed.

Donate Money to Your Local Chapter

Donate Your Time

Video: Barack Obama’s Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Whether you are Democrat, Republican, or Independent the message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr continues to ring clear. I HAVE A DREAM continues to live in the hearts of a new generation. Check out Senator Barack Obama’s tribute…

VIDEO: Common and will.i.am "A Dream"

More often than not, hip-hop is seen in a “less than perfect” light. The following video depicts hip-hop at its best, a salute to Martin Luther King Jr.

Enjoy (-:

VIDEO: The Bogus Adventures of Our Commander in Chief

This report is comically bogus! What can we believe?!

God Bless…

My heart continues to reach out to all of those affected by the “Jena Six” case. Courtesy of Michael David Murphy, a glimpse into the lives of all sides is seen….