The buzz in the media after the GOP debates is about how well the participants performed. Rather than analyze the substance and merit of their proposals for addressing the country’s most pressing issues, the focus is on their delivery. It seems the message doesn’t matter, just whether or not the candidate looks and sounds presidential. It isn’t what they say, but how they say it.
We select our leaders based on style, then belatedly discover they have no substance. Consequently, we get four years of nonsense in Washington. And the electorate complains we were duped. Is it any wonder approval ratings tank and politicians find themselves scrambling to save their jobs?
How often do we see similar problems with brands? How often do we see an advertisement for a product that sizzles, but fails to deliver a substantive or coherent message? Or worse, how often is the message a far cry from the actual customer experience?
Brilliant creative and slick copy can not mask the truth about a product’s ability to address a market need or solve a problem. When the customer’s experience is vastly different from the claims espoused on the label and in advertising, the masses respond in anger at the speed of social media. The damage to the brand may be so severe, it may never recover its reputation and lost market share. Consumers exercise their vote with their wallet.
Ultimately, style does not win over substance; in politics or in brand marketing.
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