Root your messages in reality not ideology
Every organization (business, nonprofit, political, association) should have a list of key messages.These key messages should be updated frequently (no less than once a year). If yours doesn’t, it’s...
View ArticleBuilt on a foundation of lies
We all know political speech is rhetorical–designed to fire up support. Most political speeches are short on substance and long on promises. This is true for any party, any politician. But how often do...
View ArticleAre the presidential campaigns convincing voters?
Last night, on 60 Minutes, both President Obama and Mitt Romney were interviewed. Scott Pelley interviewed Romney while Steve Kroft interviewed Obama. At the end of the hour, when both candidates gave...
View ArticleDo political ads work?
This year, we have been bombarded with political ads on TV, especially in swing states. I can attest to this since my TV DMA covers Northern Virginia, and Virginia is a swing state, so we have been...
View ArticleAuthenticity matters (or, Why Bobby Jindal Won’t Win but Chris Christie Might)
Bobby Jindal just announced (via Facebook) today that he is adding himself to the slew of GOP 2016 presidential hopefuls. There are lots of reasons why Jindal does not have even a small chance of...
View ArticleCan you do advertising by algorithm?
You’ve seen advertising by algorithm every single time you go on Facebook. If you’ve done an online search for anything (books, movies, clothing, etc.), you will now see a banner ad for that thing or...
View ArticleToo many words, too little meaning
Warning—this post is somewhat political since it uses a politician as an example, and not in a flattering way. In case you missed it on Tuesday, Sarah Palin endorsed Donald Trump in the campaign for...
View ArticleTruth vs. facts vs. journalism: an editorial
I just watched the movie “Truth,” starring Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford, about questionable documents, used by producer Mary Mapes and reported by Dan Rather on 60 Minutes II, which purported to...
View ArticleWhy I share political views on Twitter but not on LinkedIn
Lately, I have seen a couple of opinion pieces written by marketing people that state you should never, ever share your political opinion, at the risk of losing clients and alienating your network. I...
View ArticleHow do you know who to vote for when there are so many candidates?
There are thirty (that is 3-0) people running for Montgomery County, Maryland Council. Voters are allowed to vote for up to four. There are also eight candidates running in the Democratic primary for...
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