There's A Lot We Can Learn From The Political Conventions!

I just got done watching NBC Nightly News. Of course all the news was about the DNC 2008 Presidential Convention in Denver.

I have encouraged the BrandVenture Team to watch the DNC this week and the GOP next week. It is interesting to watch and listen as each party works to build its presidential candidate “brand.”

We would love to hear back from others on this Blog what insights they glean about our consumer marketplace and headset.

Politics is an interesting topic.

My friends always tell me not to bring up the topic of Politics. They say I find too much humor in the politics of America.

My Grandmother told me to find fun in everything, otherwise you would cry!

One of our 2008 Trendcasts is titled “The Persona of Politics.”

Here are some interesting facts that we cite in relationship to American Politics:
• It’s the first time since 1825 when the two party system emerged in the US that we have two consecutive two-term presidents preceding the election…Clinton eight years and Bush eight years
• Al Gore, from Tennessee, came within 538 popular votes in Florida of becoming president without winning a single Southern electoral vote
• In 2000, for the first time ever, a Republican won the White House while losing the North
• In neither 1992 nor 1996 did Clinton win 50% of the popular vote
• Independents represent the largest affiliate political party in the US…38.6% compared to 32.4% Democrats and 27.7% Republicans

In tonight's broadcast NBC made a big to do about the DNC’s strategic need to align McCain with Bush. They talk about Bush posting the lowest approval rating of any President in history.

I am looking forward to watching Fox News next week when they share the fact that congress is currently posting not only the lowest approval rating of any congress in history, but a rating less than half of Bush's rating.

Consumers today really don't trust politicians.

In our Trendcast 2008, we also cite the impending political showdown between the Millennium Generation and the Boomer Generation. They are nearly the same size.

Obama got the nomination n large part due to his popularity among those 18+ and 20-something Millenniums. The majority of Obama’s vote was from Millenniums. The majority of Hilary’s vote was from Boomers.

Birds of a feather flock together? There is an age difference between Hilary and Obama.

CNN.com’s headline this morning was all about Obama not really getting much of a surge out of his vice presidential selection of a true classic Washington Boomer.

Will be interesting to watch…Millenniums are known for their ADHD brand loyalty.

This week will truly be entertaining. Next week will be like Star Wars II.

Maybe the biggest learning out of all of this is a need to revive the old competitive comparisons.

Yeah… Visa did a wimpy version of competitive claims with its “the only card accepted at the 2008 Olympics” ads...but if Visa was really playing the strategy modeled after the DNC and GOP it would have outright gone after American Express.

Like "Visa is here at the Olympics and does anybody see Tiger or Ellen?" If they really played their politics right, Visa could even go on to say that both Tiger and Ellen each has a record of not liking Chinese food and that’s really why they did not get an invite to come to Beijing.

The political conventions are scripted from beginning to end. If you really want to glean insights into how Americans really think, get out the office and hit the streets.

Go to your nearest Starbucks and ask the others in line to describe the picture of America that is painted at each of the political conventions. Then ask them on a scale of 1-to-5 with 5 being very accurate and 1 being not accurate at all, how they would rate the picture painted compared to what they experience day-to-day in their own lives.

Come post what you find on the BrandVenture Blog-logue!

Over the next several weeks, we will be out talking with consumers about politics and share those thoughts with readers of our Blog.

If you are snowed under with work, then Email me with any questions you would love to ask!

Come, let’s journey!