Have you ever thought that election campaigns are more about sales than politics? It’s all about selling yourself, your message, your party, and your policies to the people. Not everyone enjoys selling or is a natural salesperson. But we can all learn to be better at it.
If you’re a candidate on a list and want to be elected to the municipal or county council, you also need to sell yourself and your candidacy. You’re unique in many ways. Even if many of you agree with the policies you stand for in the party and local chapter, no one will be exactly like you. And you will be the right candidate for some, maybe many. But not for everyone.
Political Marketing and Sales should be On Target
It’s when we try to speak to everyone at once that we don’t quite reach anyone. Just like when you’re selling a product or service, people want to know who they’re buying from. There are many hairdressers, but you want to find the one who is both good at cutting your hair AND who you enjoy spending time with during the two hours you spend at the hairdresser. At least if you’re a woman and are going to both strip or color and cut your hair. And you want the hair salon to be appealing as well.
It’s the same when we’re voting. We do vote for the party we agree with most at any given time. But it matters to me if the top candidate on that list seems sympathetic or not. I’m not saying you should try to be someone other than who you are, on the contrary. If you actually show a bit of your real self, you will automatically attract your voters.
What can we learn from Barbie?
Yesterday I watched the Barbie movie with my daughter and son. It was both the stupidest and smartest movie I’ve seen in a long time. Barbie was, in a way, looking for who she really was, she was just a prototype-Barbie without any particular qualification or profession. You are who you are. You have your qualifications, but you also have your very special experiences that no one else has. The more you dare to show a vulnerable side of yourself, the more authentic you become. This is not “fake it till you make it”. It’s about daring to be who you are. The real you sells yourself and your message with ease and joy
And to get back to The Power of Barbie: There’s also a lot to learn about marketing here. The film grossed an incredible $300 million US dollars in the first weekend after its premiere. Every time I experience an election campaign, I think that politicians should know more about marketing. So if you’re going to sell yourself as a politician, you can think of yourself as a brand. This can be especially important if you’re going to launch yourself as a politician because you’re completely new. Or maybe you’re thinking of a relaunch? Basically, every election is a launch or relaunch.
Be Your Brand
First of all, they managed to build an incredible hype around the Barbie movie. I knew it was coming long before it actually did. Even though I’ve completely stopped following what’s on in the cinema. If you’re going to create a kind of hype around you and your party, tell about small things you do, don’t start with all the politics right away. And don’t attack political opponents before people even know who you are. Let them get to know you! Yes, they want to know what you stand for. But they also want to know who you are.
The Barbie brand itself is also as clear as it can be. What do you think of when you think of Barbie? Pink, of course. It would be difficult to become as clear a brand as a politician, but what is it that characterizes you as a politician and a human being that you can bring out much more clearly? It’s a bit like the animals that are known for a particular trait. Are you as cunning as a fox or as scared as a hare?
Reason is sold with Emotion
Barbie is also a lot of emotion. Many of us have some variation of the doll to look back on. She brings with her a lot of nostalgia from both the 80s and 90s. She reminds us of community. As a politician, you must also speak to people’s hearts and souls so that they FEEL what you want to say. It doesn’t help that your message is the best, most intelligent, well-founded, or safest if people don’t feel your message. Everyone who knows about sales knows it: Emotions sell, not reason. I’m not saying your politics shouldn’t be sensible. Just that you should sell it with emotion.
The filmmakers also had an advantage when it came to marketing through influencers. The two main actors are super famous and automatically reach many. How can you use influencers to promote yourself as a politician? Well, you probably have some celebrities, preferably of the sympathetic type, in your party. Take pictures with them and spread them on social media! Maybe you also know other minor celebrities in your municipality that you can ask for help. Of course without paying them for it, because that’s where the possibilities for a politician probably end.
