Maybe we just need a new advertising campaign? 🤷🏼‍♀️

Change the narrative and fight the propaganda that brought America to her demise.

This is essay #95

It’s hard to write these days. It’s hard to read, too. When you discover your family and friends don’t share your set of values, it’s devastating. Your support system is now suspect, and you feel adrift. I get it. So… if you’re here, thank you. It’s communities of like minded people that will get us through this devastating time. I appreciate each of you! ✌️

Maybe you’ll read this and think, this is stupid. Susan has lost her mind. I’m spitballing here and if you have a better idea, let’s hear it. I thought we could count on the good in human nature to keep our freedoms intact, but I obviously didn’t realize what a successful propaganda campaign they ran.

So let’s look at any and all ideas to save ourselves.

After 32 years, 14 days, and 7 hours owning my advertising agency¹, I can tell you a bit about how to persuade people and get them to buy things they probably don’t need.

The ways to reach people have changed… when I started my agency, there was no Facebook, Twitter, or Tic Tok - thank god. (I am THAT OLD! 😂 ) But the basic philosophy of getting people to buy into what you’re selling has not. There’s a formula to developing an advertising campaign… very simply put:

• What’s the goal? Be specific about what you hope to achieve.

• Find out what your target audience is missing and what they need.

• Define your target audience. Understand who they are, their lifestyles, how old are they, where do they live, etc.

• Do a thorough examination of your competition.

• Create your message to accommodate all of the above.

• Then make your call to action. Ask for the “order’’.

• Finally, watch your progress, tweak your message if necessary, and be frequent in your reach. Don’t stop talking to them.

I gotta say, the pervasive propaganda campaigns were well done. They were consistent, targeted, and after years of weakening the educational system, American brains were willing customers for a right wing, extremist message.

How is propaganda different than advertising?

As defined in the Merriam Webster Dictionary, propaganda is:

• ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause

• the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person

Advertising is defined as:

• the action of calling something to the attention of the public especially by paid announcements

OK. So the difference is obvious. When I was in the business, truth in advertising was everything. We had to be careful about making a superiority claim that wasn’t true.

So why the hell isn’t this being done in social media?

The direct and purposeful untruths that killed America were presented in such a successful way… the buy-in was strong. Unsuspecting people were encouraged to hate and act against their best interests.

And here we are.

Maybe the Democrats need to appeal to our best advertising minds to target the demographic we lost and create a campaign to save democracy.

Hey, BBDO, Grey, Leo Burnett, McCann…. anybody out there? We need a strategy to save America. How about it?

Joyce Vance says: “It requires education and discernment to separate fact from fiction, and often that's lacking. That’s the problem: educating people so they can make judgments about what’s true.”

Let’s get creative!

Right now, like many of you, I’m struggling. I don’t know what I’d do with you guys. Thanks for being with me. Together, we’re stronger and comforted.

1. Before I sold my business, I was literally counting the days til I signed it over. I was exhausted and all out of ‘new and different’. It began with one client in a spare bedroom and I stumbled my way into a staff of 12 and a roster of regional business. That I made it that long still amazes me. 😳 What a ride.