Philadelphia Inquirer
9/4/2008
OK, Sarah Palin's not a can of soup, but when it comes to potage
and politics, it's all about branding.
Last night, the Republicans officially launched Brand Sarah as
their vice presidential candidate.
Their nomination came after a few frantic days of news - about
her pregnant daughter, her son with Down syndrome, her record as
governor and her past as the former Miss Wasilla once known as
"Sarah Barracuda" for her aggressive play on the high school
basketball court.
Now it's time to take a deep breath and start marketing. Four
local advertising and public relations executives share their
strategies on how to maximize her assets and overcome her
liabilities.
- Jane M. Von Bergen
Anne Buchanan, President, Buchanan Public
Relations, a public relations agency in Ardmore.
Assets: Hard to find someone with more assets -
mother, mother of a serviceman, mother of a special-needs child,
hockey mom, governor, hunter, consummate multitasker, seems to be
very competitive, a maverick.
"She fires on a lot of cylinders. For women who respond to the
idea that women can do it all, this is good."
Liabilities: For women who think her loyalties
are too conflicted, it could be a negative. Should she be doing any
of this now, when she has two children with unique emotional and
physical needs?
Strategy: Let others tell her family story
while she and the GOP focus on other campaign issues, constantly
conveying her readiness to govern. She shouldn't ignore her family
- that's part of her appeal. But she shouldn't dwell on it either.
"I'd keep moving back to her qualifications."
Steven Grasse, CEO, Gyro Worldwide, a
Philadelphia advertising agency.
Assets: Palin runs her state well - and it's a
big state. Plus, she has high approval ratings. As a mother with
five children, she will play into heartstrings around the country.
Handsome husband.
Liabilities: She has to lose the glasses. Some
may say that the pregnant daughter shows she should be paying more
attention at home.
Strategy: Would focus on Barack Obama and his
inexperience.
"Even a first-term governor, even a hockey mom with five kids,
has more experience than Obama."
She should be careful not to use her son with Down syndrome as a
prop. The pregnant teenage daughter is no one's business.
"I would use her assets as a woman better. She's pretty. What's
wrong with having a hot chick in the White House - a hot chick who
likes guns? I think it's awesome."
A. Bruce Crawley, President, Millenium 3
Management, an advertising and public relations agency in
Philadelphia.
Assets: Right on the mark for target audience
of conservative Christians and former Hillary Rodham Clinton
supporters.
"She has done extraordinary things in being a person who can
balance all the demands of professional and public life while still
maintaining what appears to be the traditional female role. She is
almost a renaissance woman in terms of marketing."
Her experience as a broadcast journalist is a plus.
Pregnant daughter is not a liability and her son with Down
syndrome is proof of her convictions.
Liabilities: All the standard negative
stereotypes that go along with being a successful woman.
Strategy: Have patience. Stick with the message
aimed at the target audience and don't be rattled by all the noise.
The media will get bored and focus elsewhere.
Marc Brownstein, President, The
Brownstein Group, an advertising and public relations
agency in Philadelphia.
Assets: "Authenticity, she is real, just like
you. She's a career mom. That's a plus."
Liabilities: Perception of a lack of
experience.
Strategy: GOP strategists need to turn the
perceived liability into an asset.
"Everyone criticizes her lack of experience. But how did she get
to be a governor after being the mayor of such a small town?
"That's incredible! She's a doer. She is obviously a force to be
reckoned with" or she wouldn't have been able to achieve so much so
quickly.
"McCain must never apologize for her. Don't try to hide any
truths, because they will emerge.
Make an emotional connection to voters based on her
authenticity.
"She is not someone who is unattainable. People can aspire to be
like her. I wouldn't spin it."