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.
