Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Fashion & Politics

I’ve decided to rename this blog ‘Fashion & Politics’.  Why?

Well first the obvious reason, I’m a chick and I love clothes and fashion.  Shopping, primping, make-up, hair and a nice mani/pedi now and then with the gals. 

And I like taking selfies of my outfits. What can I say?

I’m also obsessed with politics, current events, government, culture and debate.  I always have been … it’s a passion built into my nature and my soul for as long as I can remember.

So I have this crazy notion that fashion and politics are interrelated

But how possibly can you marry fashion and politics?  They seem to occupy completely opposite ends of the spectrum.  And while fashion occasionally delves into politics (think Kirsten Gillibrand featured in Vogue)… politics rarely delves into fashion (think Hillary Clinton’s pantsuits).

In fact, fashion among Republican politicians is about as rare as the spotted owl. The last (and only) Republican woman grudgingly applauded for her fashion sense was Nancy Regan.  And when the fashionable set isn’t completely ignoring Republican women, they devolve into complete ‘Mean Girl’ territory.   Who can forget the twin Newsweek covers of Michelle Bachmann looking like a wild eyed lunatic and Sarah Palin in spandex lollipops?

The folks at Newsweek were total jerks … but the “hip” factor does seem elusive to many Republicans.

Hollywood, the media and pop culture have seemingly rejected Conservatism and the GOP.  And the truth is that Republicans do have a problem.  They seem old, out of style and curmudgeony. They are not appealing to younger generations. They are perceived as out-of-touch, antiquated and out of ideas.  The GOP needs to appeal to new voters.  But gaining favor among the young and cool does not necessarily mean changing your core values.  It might just mean tweaking your logo.

I’ve worked in advertising & marketing for ten years.  As an advertising executive I’ve sold everything from radio to billboards to network television.  I’ve helped hundreds of clients write and produce advertising campaigns.  If I’ve learned anything from this experience it is this:

Image. Matters. 

The first impression is vitally important and the image you portray can help you get your foot in the door and break down barriers.  Is image the most important thing?  Absolutely, positively NO!  A bad product will have trouble selling regardless of how fancy the packaging.  Bad ideas, bad policies and a lackluster track record won’t be fixed with a smart outfit and cool demeanor.  (Actually, I  take that back.  It actually worked for Obama.)

But thankfully image is one of the easiest things to tweak without compromising core values.

Republicans want to appeal to younger voters.  Progressive consultants are telling them that to achieve that, they must change who they are and everything they believe in.  They must approve of gay marriage, abandon the abortion issue, support amnesty and embrace social welfare programs to reach these elusive young voters. This is the only way to move into the 21st Century and be relevant.
That advice is dumb. 

This is like telling Coca Cola to change their famous recipe to appeal to Millenials.  It’s like telling Colonel Sanders to add a spice or two to his fried chicken.  Every marketing expert and advertising guru knows that the legends in product marketing never mess with the original … they just TWEAK the packaging!

Republicans don’t need to change their core values in order to appeal to younger generations.  They just need a good image overhaul and new creative language that effectively articulates conservatism to the younger set.  They need to identify what draws Millenials to Libertarianism and EMBRACE IT! 

Republicans actually have an amazing marketing opportunity.  They can excite their conservative base and introduce limited government to a whole new generation of young voters who are open and receptive to Libertarian values.  The Millennials are ripe for the picking and if Republicans were smart they would seize this moment and tailor their message to these new voters.


And at the end of the day … maybe consider a few makeovers?  After all … it is infinitely easier to tweak your wardrobe, hair and language than to sacrifice everything you believe in.  

No comments:

Post a Comment