| The 2004 election is over--at least in the minds of the | | | | let's not call "Fahrenheit 9/11" a documentary. |
| public--and analysis runs rampant as to why Senator | | | | Unfortunately, Michael Moore himself has proved to be |
| John Kerry lost. From a business viewpoint, one could | | | | less than stellar at being his own product. Although as |
| say that he simply didn't sell the product. Or more | | | | of this writing he won the People's Choice Award for |
| accurately, he didn't sell the American voters on | | | | Best Film of the Year, he's also developed a reputation |
| himself, and by extension the Democratic Party, as the | | | | for lack of integrity, not to mention bashing the USA |
| product. We all remember phrases such as "This is the | | | | that has given him his career. Moore's whole image as |
| wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time" and | | | | "a man of the people" has been called into question |
| "I voted for the invasion of Iraq before I voted against | | | | many times. Although the marketing of Michael Moore |
| it."Imagine if Bill Gates took to the airwaves and said, | | | | is an Oscar-worthy production, 51 percent of |
| "We're against business. Our aim is to completely | | | | Americans didn't find him credible.Celebrity |
| sandbag business [N.B.: some Microsoft foes may quip | | | | endorsements are only as good as the celebrities |
| that he's succeeded.] But even though we're | | | | themselves, and many Americans found the Dixie |
| anti-business our software can do business better than | | | | Chicks, Barbra Streisand, Sean Penn, Martin Sheen, |
| our competitors' products. So buy Microsoft even | | | | Jessica Lange, Ed Asner, Janeane Garofalo, Whoopi |
| though we're anti-business."Even all of Bill Gates' | | | | Goldberg, and many of the supposed elite to be less |
| millions couldn't stop stockholders from hauling him | | | | than convincing, particularly with the way Hollywood |
| before a Wall Street firing squad. Die-hard Windows | | | | keeps selling crudeness, vulgarity, violence and |
| lovers, like true blue Democrats, would continue to | | | | intolerance for any point of view but its own. The |
| support Gates nonetheless. They might even do it to | | | | multiple military backgrounds, Ph.D.s, and public service |
| spite Apple Computer, the way so many Kerry voters | | | | records the Bush team collectively holds puts in |
| chose to support Kerry because he wasn't Bush. "The | | | | perspective the glamour of a few Academy Awards |
| Uncola" slogan worked for 7-Up, but that's the | | | | and hit TV shows, movies or albums.4) You are |
| exception. Most successful business enterprises win | | | | confident enough in yourself not to deride people who |
| loyalty by telling customers who they are, rather than | | | | opt for an alternate product. The British newspapers |
| who they're not.Consider the mundane example of | | | | derided the majority of Americans who voted for |
| juicers, specifically an online store front called | | | | Bush as being "dumb."As my voice acting teacher, |
| LivingRight.com, one of a family of health appliance and | | | | Samantha Paris, founder of Voicetrax San Francisco |
| lifestyle product Web sites operated by Arizona-based | | | | Desert Cities says about casting for radio, narration, |
| company Open Chute. There are literally hundreds of | | | | animation and TV commercial jobs, "It's selection, not |
| juicer Web sites, so what can Open Chute do to | | | | rejection."5) You thrive on competition, not taking it as a |
| convince customers to buy from Except for saying, | | | | personal attack, and you don't turn the competition into |
| "We will meet or beat any of our competitors' prices," | | | | personal attacks. Politics violates this rule too often, |
| LivingRight doesn't waste much time reminding you of | | | | and the 2004 campaign was nastier than |
| the competition. Consider the statement on their | | | | most.Contrast that with Coke and Pepsi. The |
| homepage:"We supply commercial juice extractors | | | | competing celebrity endorsements (Santa and the |
| and industrial juicers to businesses and also carry the | | | | polar bears on the Coke side, Ray Charles and Faith |
| best juicers for at-home juicing junkies. We have gift | | | | hill on the Pepsi side) only prolong an ongoing |
| ideas for the health nut in your life, juicing recipes and | | | | competition that isn't likely to be resolved any time |
| tips on juicing for healthy living, as well as a Best Price | | | | soon. The Pepsi Challenge shook Coke out of it's |
| Guarantee."Let's look at what LivingRight has just told | | | | 1980s complacency, and Coke learned from its |
| you about itself:Fact: It cares about your health, and to | | | | abysmal New Coke mistake. Although to be fair, Pepsi |
| prove it, there are pictures of spiffy-looking juicers | | | | had its own klunker with Crystal Pepsi, although they |
| surrounded by fresh fruit. Mm-mm. It even wants your | | | | rebounded with Pepsi Twist.These days Coke has |
| friends and family to be healthy!Fact: It supplies | | | | brought back Cherry Coke, Vanilla Coke, and even |
| commercial juicers, and links to those products are | | | | branched out into Coke with lime. Notice that Coke isn't |
| right up there on the home page. But those juicers | | | | telling investors how awful Pepsi is, and vice versa. It's |
| seem affordable for "at-home juicing junkies." Open | | | | just good old-fashioned competition in which you, the |
| Chute knows that if you're going to invest in a juicer | | | | businessperson, puts your best foot forward.6) You |
| you're going to get something that lasts. And hey, | | | | don't change who you are. People were never sure of |
| there's a Best Price Guarantee!Fact: It is so sure that | | | | who John Kerry was, whereas George W. Bush's |
| LivingRight will make a difference in your life that it | | | | swagger ("which in Texas is calls walking," he |
| offers recipes to go with the juicers, as well as tips on | | | | remarked in his acceptance speech at the Republican |
| juicing for healthy living.So in one short paragraph, | | | | National Convention) doesn't hide itself. Bush has made |
| LivingRight has sold itself as a caring consumer | | | | no attempt to correct his oft-remarked-on slips of the |
| advocate and supplier of these nifty health appliances. | | | | tongue and even owns up to it ("People sometimes |
| After all, everyone wants to be healthy.Contrast this | | | | have a tendency to correct my English--I knew that I |
| with Kerry's message, delivered not in one paragraph | | | | was in trouble when Arnold Schwarzenegger started |
| but in hours of negative campaigning, debates, and | | | | doing it.") Bush's folksy ways make a statement that |
| speeches. For those of you who can't remember | | | | he is comfortable in his own skin. Likewise, Bill Clinton |
| what it was, "I'm not Bush" comes pretty close. | | | | didn't switch to caviar from McDonald's (much to his |
| Although "We have better hair" also surfaced as a | | | | regret later). Costco hasn't added high-end coffee bars |
| slogan. Reality check: People only vote for hair and | | | | and gourmet food stands, but the lines at the checkout |
| make-up at the Oscars. Hillary Clinton herself | | | | are still as dauntingly long as ever.7) You focus on |
| denigrated the media fascination with her hair. Imagine | | | | who you are for the present and future, rather than |
| that: Hillary's a better business leader than John Kerry. | | | | who you used to be. Senator Kerry's rehashing of the |
| After all, she survived Whitewater, didn't she?So what | | | | Vietnam conflict, and the Swift Boat controversy that |
| could the Democrats have done differently and what | | | | cropped up to haunt him, illustrated how drawing on |
| can you learn from them? For a start, you can realize | | | | past glories (or controversies) only make people |
| and affirm the seven reasons why you are your own | | | | confused about who you are in the present. Imagine if |
| best product.1) You are successful in what you do. | | | | Coke and Pepsi trotted out all their marketing missteps, |
| LivingRight's Web site says, "More than 25,000 health | | | | and imagine if Pepsi tried to resurrect its ad campaign |
| appliances shipped!" "Shipped" communicates | | | | with the embattled Michael Jackson. Dated at best, |
| follow-through, as in a former McDonald's slogan "Over | | | | controversial at worst.People connect with who you |
| one billion served."While going to war isn't a popular | | | | are in the moment and who you will be in the future. |
| decision (as even Joan Rivers remarked at the 2002 | | | | When someone buys, say, a juicer, she envisions |
| Oscars, "Every idiot in the world wants peace"), | | | | many mornings of fresh homemade nutritious juice and |
| President George W. Bush successfully prevented | | | | the well-being that she receives, well-being that she |
| attacks on American soil by first going after al-Qa'eda, | | | | comes to associate with the company or store that |
| then in toppling Saddam Hussein from power.2) You | | | | makes and/or sells the juicer. A past track record is |
| believe in your product, and by extension yourself and | | | | helpful, particularly in maintaining relationships with |
| your vision, so much that you use it yourself. Those | | | | customers, but don't keep rehashing it. "You've always |
| cheesy Hair Club For Men ads hit it right on the head, | | | | been there for me" sets up the expectation that, like |
| pun intended: "I'm not only the Hair Club president, I'm | | | | State Farm, you will be there in the future. You can |
| also a client." If John Kerry was so against the action in | | | | enjoy a restaurant twenty times, but have you ever |
| Iraq, why did he initially vote for it?3) You are so | | | | noticed that one bad meal can make you think twice |
| compelling that you surround yourself with people who | | | | about going there?A coda to this list: Fortunately, if |
| build up (not necessarily brown-nosers) rather than | | | | you've made yourself your primary product, even the |
| tear down your image. Bush has benefited from Colin | | | | most critical of diners can forgive a slip-up, because |
| Powell, Condoleeza Rice, Vice-President Dick Cheney, | | | | they've already invested in you. So make sure you are |
| California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (another | | | | an investment they'll want to hang on to, and in the |
| businessman successful at selling himself), Rudy Giuliani, | | | | Democratic Party's case, a future they believe in.Kristin |
| Georgia Democratic Senator Zell Miller, and especially | | | | Johnson is co-author of the "highly recommended" |
| the legacy of former President Ronald Reagan. Now | | | | Midwest Book Review pick, Christmas Cookies Are |
| Bush has truly moved into bold territory by appointing | | | | For Giving: Stories, Recipes and Tips for Making |
| his own father and former President Bill Clinton, | | | | Heartwarming Gifts (ISBN: 0-9723473-9-9). A |
| one-time political rivals, to head the Asian tsunami relief.I | | | | downloadable media kit is available at our Web site, or |
| have to concede partial credit to Kerry and the | | | | e-mail the publisher () to receive a printed media kit and |
| Democrats for being associated with, or at least | | | | sample copy of the book. |
| profiting from, a successful movie franchise--though | | | | |