A Savvy Marketer in Michigan
Last week voters in Michigan picked Dr. Abdul El-Sayed to be the Democratic candidate for Senate.
El-Sayed has a remarkable background; he was a Rhodes Scholar and received his M.D. from Columbia. He is the author of multiple books and was Detroit Health Director.
He also is a savvy marketer.
A NYT Interview
This weekend, the New York Times ran an interview with El-Sayed. What struck me was El-Sayed’s views on brand building.
Here are some excerpts from the interview:
I want to make sure that when somebody touches our campaign – in any way they touch us – that our message is clear, it’s concise and it’s consistent. Even if you’re volunteering and you’re knocking on our door, the message you’re hearing is about: “Money out of politics, money in your pocket, Medicare for all” – and this is why it matters to me.
And as much as people want to pretend or act like we had a personality-drive campaign, it wasn’t. It was driven by a message.
I can walk into almost any room and I can say, “Money out of?” And everybody’s like “Politics.”
“Money in your?” “Pocket.”
“Medicare for?” “All.” People know what we’re about.
It’s about the message more than anything. Everybody focuses on style. I don’t think style matters, man.
I am consistent, I say the same thing to everybody regardless of where I go.
Great Marketing
El-Sayed’s interview reveals that he has a deep understanding of branding and marketing.
Benefits: Ultimately, people are motivated by benefits. Theories and principles are terrific, the behavior flows from benefits. What is the benefit to me? El-Sayed is all about benefits. Money in your pocket. Free healthcare.
Consistency: The heart of brand building is consistency. Great brands stand for something and they stick to it. If a brand tries to be all things to all people, it has no real definition.
Focus: El-Sayed sticks to three points. There is magic in three – people can remember three things. It is easy and simple. The data is quite clear: if a company talks about 20 things, most people will forget all of them. To break through the clutter, a brand needs to focus on a handful of simple things.
Style: El-Sayed downplayed the importance of style in his interview. This is smart; people don’t want to think they are influenced by branding. That seems light. Who wants to be swayed by style?
This is why asking people if they learned about your product from advertising is so dangerous. People will almost always say no.
In truth, El-Sayed is all about style. He speaks well and dresses in a distinct fashion. Everything in his campaign communicates a unique feeling and message.
The best business leaders know that it is wise to downplay the role of marketing, even as they embrace the power of it.
The Outlook
Will El-Sayed prevail in November? Given his marketing skills, I think there is a very good chance. If he keeps the focus on benefits and sticks to his three points, he will attract votes and support.
The challenge for his opponent, Mike Rogers: offer up a more compelling set of benefits with a similar level of style and flair. That won’t be easy to do.
Comments RSS Feed