Campaign Messaging
February 16, 2010
Q: How do you view the current slate of candidates for Michigan governor from a message standpoint?
A: With Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero throwing his hat into the ring for the Democratic nomination, campaign messaging by gubernatorial hopefuls is an intriguing topic. There are lessons to be learned from the early entries in the race, so let’s take a look at how some of these hopefuls are using — or abusing — key messages to position themselves to run for governor. (Quick disclaimer: we will comment on four candidates’ messaging — two Democrats, two Republicans — in no particular order or preference. Our comments are observations and not an endorsement of a particular candidate.)
Bernero announced his campaign for governor on Monday, February 8. His key message is “It’s time to make Michigan work again.” His agenda is about putting Michigan’s citizens back to work, rebuilding the state’s economy and laying out the red carpet for business by cutting red tape. “It’s time to make Michigan work again” has double meaning, is clever and will resonate with voters, but how does Bernero plan to achieve this? His Achilles’ heel is his core constituency — Lansing’s hometown voters who just saw their newly sworn-in, second-term mayor take on the 24/7 job of running for governor.
Switch parties and listen to Attorney General Mike Cox, who is running on what we call a “Change. Be bold” message platform with a negative slant. At a rally held February 6, Cox likened his vision to Ronald Reagan’s and urged listeners to turn their backs on the timid, commit to change and stand up and fight. Cox vows to “cut spending, cut taxes and you will have more jobs…a better Michigan.” Cox made the mistake of bashing the governor and status quo ad nauseam. He spent the first 13 minutes of a 23-minute speech telling his audience how bad things are in Michigan and that our children are leaving the state. This was news to no one. Cox has time to redeem himself, but he needs to forget the rhetoric and get to the meat of the matter by building his key messages on how he proposes to lead Michigan.
Without a doubt, Rick Snyder is an intriguing candidate. He’s no Ronald Reagan — more like Bill Gates. Snyder is “One Tough Nerd,” as proclaimed in his statewide advertising. This nerd is taking the meaning of “bold” to another level with this novel positioning.
It may be a stroke of genius, especially with young voters. To them, being a nerd is a good thing — smart, tech-savvy and non-conforming. While you may not agree with his strategy or politics, he has captured the imagination of many who are curious about his “10-Point Plan to Re-Invent Michigan.” His key message is “We need to re-invent Michigan.” He proposes to put his business experience to work for Michigan. Let’s see how this plays out for a political newcomer.
State Representative Alma Wheeler Smith is anything but a newcomer to state government. Smith is capitalizing on this asset in her key messaging. Says Smith, “I am an experienced leader willing to fight for Michigan’s families.” Smith has claimed her niche as an experienced leader and fighter, as someone with 24 years of experience in state government who knows how to get things done. She’s taken ownership of experience as her chief selling point and advantage over the competition for her party’s nomination. Let’s see if experience — a promise to get the job done — can carry the day for Smith.
From a messaging perspective, all of the gubernatorial hopefuls we’ve discussed in this column have spent time and resources honing their messages. Some have done it better than others. One thing is certain, we will be hearing more.
For further information on the candidates discussed in this column, visit the following websites: (in alphabetical order) www.almaformichigan.org; www.mikecox2010.com; www.rickformichigan.com; and www.votevirg.com.
Paula Blanchard Stone and Patty McCarthy are partners in McCarthyBlanchard, an executive training firm specializing in key message development, presentation skills training, media interview training and executive presence. Copyright © 2008 McCarthy Blanchard. | Website
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