Regardless of your political preferences, you’ve got to hand it to the Obama campaign for staying on message. The campaign’s communication stream was consistent, compelling, and tied to the strategic theme of the inspiring tagline, “Change We Can Believe In.”
Students of history and those old enough to have lived through the 1970s will see the obvious similarities between “Change We Can Believe In” and Ronald Reagan’s winning line, “Together, A New Beginning.” Both lines spoke to a desire for better days ahead, and allowed every voter to participate in the experience.
Let’s analyze the components of Mr. Obama’s tagline and see why it worked so hard for him. Overall, the line was broad enough to be a pivot point for a variety of tactical messages that fit the overarching strategy.
The word “Change” in the line telegraphed the message that Mr. Obama was anyone but George W. Bush. The word “We” included everyone and was an effort at uniting the country. And the words “Can Believe In” reassured voters that this unknown politician with the thin resume could actually handle presidential responsibilities.
Compare that with John McCain’s tagline, “Country First.” It was a pretty good line, but it had limits. In fact, it was more of a headline than a tagline, because it really only served a single, tactical purpose — to contrast Mr. McCain’s life of service and self-sacrifice against Mr. Obama’s apparent opportunism.
Mr. McCain’s line failed because it didn’t hinge on his becoming President. Mr. McCain had been putting his country first for decades while not being President, and he could presumably be counted on to continue putting his country first regardless of the outcome of the election. “Change We Can Believe In,” on the other hand, could only come about if enough voters pulled the lever for Mr. Obama.
Toward the end of the campaign, Mr. McCain tried out another line: “Reform • Peace • Prosperity.” Like most taglines using that particular three-word structure where each word makes a separate statement, it lacked energy and seemed all over the place — which was exactly what the “erratic” Mr. McCain didn’t need.
So what can marketers learn from the taglines of the two major presidential candidates? Here are three key points to keep in mind:
1. Create a tagline that’s broad enough to act as a pivot point for tactical messages within a strategic theme.
“Change We Can Believe In” worked whether the campaign was talking policy, temperament, experience, or leadership style.
2. Create a tagline that makes your audience part of the experience.
Mr. Obama’s line spoke to the whole country. Mr. McCain’s line spoke only of Mr. McCain.
3. Create a tagline that addresses barriers your company has to overcome.
No one doubted Mr. McCain’s love of country. People did have doubts that Mr. Obama had the experience necessary to lead the nation.
Obviously, there’s more to successful marketing than a tagline, but a good one can be a solid foundation upon which to build consistent, compelling messages that work across all media to persuade prospects and customers to keep giving you their vote.
Learn more about the author, Ed Sweet.
Thanks for your insights Ed.
Have you seen the new book, "Speak Like Obama?" It's filled with key points on why Obama's speeches were so effective. i.e. when to leave it vague enough for people to think for themselves and when he got specific for more credibility. There is so much we can all learn from this campaign.
Sounds like a great read, Pamela, only I can't find one matching the title on Amazon. Is this the same one - Say it Like Obama?
Yes, thanks Dan, It's "Say it Like Obama: The power of speaking with vision and purpose" by Shel Leanne
I saw it at Barnes and Noble in Bellevue. The library has just ordered it.
So, consistent effective messages to speak to your market about your companies core values, and being ready with a timely product prepared and put to market with blinding speed.
Blinding speed that apparently didn't undercut the quality of the finished product?
Say it ain't so.
Pamela and Dan, I'm amazed at how fast they can come out with books like that. There's probably one already written about his first 100 days in office. :-)
Ed,
Thanks for this refreshing look at taglines. Your three tips are excellent.
As a long-time watcher of political campaigns, I don't think "change" was the key word in Obama's campaign. Too many other candidates have used that word. I think that bringing "we" into it was brilliant.
Oh, but Pamela and Dan: Shouldn't that book really be called "Say It Like Obama's Speechwriters"?
Sorry, as a writer, I just couldn't resist that.
I can appreciate your comment Judy. As Patricia Fripp said and I agree, "As speaking coaches, we pull the words out of the person, polish em up a bit and put them back in!"
Terrific presentation, Ed. Powerful tools here to brush up our outgoing messages by clarifying our own intentions and desires.
Pamela, I love the Fripp quote. And from hearing and watching Obama through various interviews, I feel the strength and authenticity of his expression. My guess is that he made the writing job easy for his speechwriters!
Mr. Obama claims to write most of his own material, or at least that's what I've heard. I'm sure he'll have less time to do that going forward, so we'll have to keep an eye out for stylistic changes.
Interesting discussion. I have always suspected that speechwriting for politicians is a collaborative process between the writer and the candidate.
As far as Obama goes, that seems to be true. Newsweek interviewed Obama's writer, Jon Favreau. He said,
"What I do is sit with him for half an hour. He talks. I type everything he says. I reshape it. He writes. He reshapes it. That's how we get to the finished product."
An interesting sounding book is about to be released: "White House Ghosts: Presidents and their Speechwriters" by Robert Schlesinger of the Huffington Post. I think I'm going to have to buy that one.
Judy, I've ghostwritten a few books for people and that's kind of how it works. We start with a lot of recorded interviews, I disappear and prepare a draft, and then we go back and forth a few rounds. It's really fun to find a person's voice and reproduce it in writing. The best is when you make something up and the person thinks it was something they actually said. :-)
How funny, Ed. I was reading some interviews with speechwriters and they all said the same thing. I think when you come up with a good line, it's probably natural that the "author" or speaker would want to own that themselves.
Sounds like a fascinating, and challenging, process, especially when you need to make sure that your words and the personality/voice of the person you are writing for are always in synch.
Peter Robinson's "How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life" is pretty fascinating hearing about the processes that took place to create speeches like "Bring down this wall" and "City on a hill" that dictated world policy. Kind of reminds me of JFK's inner-circle meetings behind closed doors during the Cuba missile crisis going, "OK, so the world might end in a couple of days... suggestions?"
there's a tag line generator covered here http://sayitbetter.typepad.com/say_it_better/2008/06/clever-kind-and.html
I've always wanted to be a speechwriter. Anyone know any candidates? I'll have to check out that Reagan book...Thanks for the tip, Jeremy. The tagline generator was a scream...19 steps! Check out this software that writes headlines: http://headline-creator-pro.com/np.html It does in 17 seconds what a copywriter does in three to five days!
Thanks, Ed. Very thought provoking. I struggled for years trying to figure out the best name and tag line for my business. Ultimately, I stole a tag line I was using a lot, and turned it into my business name. Now, I'm short a tag line. Maybe this will help me come up with something good.
As long as there's so much interest in speeches & speechwriting, November issue of Harvard Business Review has an article on "How to Become an Authentic Speaker."
Thanks for the urls Kare and Ed.
Laila, I think you might have gotten a two-fer. :-) Some businesses just don't need a tagline when the gist of what you want to say is all in the name.
Thanks, Pamela, for the lead on the article. Can someone really "become" authentic? :-)
Thanks, Ed. What a thought. One item down, 598 more to go?!
There's another element to Obama's tagline that you didn't mention. "Change we can believe in" carries the implied message that McCain's "change", coming from a man who served for years as a goose-stepper in Bush's army, is unbelievable.
There was a lot of that skepticism floating about in the electorate, and the tagline successfully captured it, I think.
Thanks Ed!
Very useful information and simplifying for those of us who have a hard time knowing the best way to reach people and be remebered in their hearts and minds at the same time!
Can I get some feedback on my biz tagline? "Spa services for the overeducated and underpaid". Thanks
You're right about one thing, Paul. The set up did imply that one candidate's change was more believable.
Thanks Debra...I know it's a lot to ask for a tagline. Keep in mind that that's just one part of it. I was at a presentation the other day, and the leader defined a brand as "a cluster of perceptions." I thought that was pretty cool.
I know what you're trying to say, Cassandra, but I think you run the risk of insulting your audience. When I go for a massage or something, I want to transport myself away from reality and feel like a king. I don't need to be reminded that I'm overeducated and underpaid when I'm looking for an escape. It might be okay for a headline or a supporting point, but the tagline can have such a powerful presence I'd go more positive.
Ok, thanks for the feedback. My point with the tagline is to let people know that spa services don't have to be exhorbitantly priced, as most are, and that anyone can enjoy a good spa service without breaking the bank, particularly in today's economy when luxury often takes second place to life's necessities.
Ed, Good article. A good tagline is essential when trying to sell a concept, product or candidate. Obama's tagline worked not only because the public could identify with it, but it inferred they have the power to create change. I've seen more products sell because of a good tagline we added, than any packaging I could have offered!
Ed, good points in this article, and the second one is especially brilliant. One of the hardest tasks I have is getting my clients to see things from THEIR client's perspective, and to address their client's experience or what they want to experience.
That said, Cassandra's tagline intrigued me and combined with seeing that she's in my town, it compelled me to click her name and find out about what she does. Since I happen to be in the market for a facial, I'm delighted to find that this is one of her services, and am further excited to see that she's about 3 minutes from me! I'll be making an appointment with her today.
So there's something to be said for a tagline addressed to how a client base sees themselves that works on a local level for the service you provide.
Deah, I'm glad you and Cassandra are going to connect....It's that "cluster of perceptions" in operation. I just think Cassandra, that you could get the same message across and cast a wider net. Carol, I'm curious, how were you able to tell that your taglines were more effective than packaging?
Quite a few times, the tagline spoke to what the customer was trying to convey to their prospective clients. The packaging could have been fantastic, and the customer would keep coming back trying to change it. By adding a tagline, it seem to nail it for the customer.
OK... I was going to bite my tongue on this one... but I can't resist.
Do you REALLY believe that it was simple marketing propaganda techniques that won this election???
WOW! That's about all I have to say on that... WOW!
There has been quite a discussion in my field this political season on how effective the Obama campaign has been at using hypnotic language patterns and unconscious communication techniques. His handlers are absolutely brilliant and contributed to his success for sure. Hypnosis is everywhere folks. You can either succumb to it out of awareness or take control of the trance you are already in. Craig
Yes indeed Craig you make a good point. And whatever message gets installed hypnotically must be in agreement with subconscious and/or conscious beliefs as you are probably well aware of. How many people will stay on a diet, for instance, if the desire to be thin is counteracted by the "101 reasons why that won't work or is no fun!" So it seems rather apparent that the vast majority of us definitely wanted "change we could believe in" it was congruent with our belief system in so many ways and on so many levels - conscious or not. Quite frankly I am "entranced" by Obama's message!
Not at all Rachel. It was much more complicated than that.
Great points, Ed.
Finding a relevant message (one that struck a chord with his audience) and sticking to it was critical to Obama's success, I think. Not only was the McCain "Country First" message not entirely audience-focused, it was also the 10th or 11th tagline that he used during his campaign. His messaging was very reactive and scrambled.
As you say, you have to credit the Obama team for understanding and sticking to their message.
Your three points are a really nice way to bring this home to our businesses.
Excellent discussion everybody, and I'd like to propose a #4 to Ed's article.
Effective verbal communication is both "what" we say and "how" we say it. Anybody can memorize words, regardless of the writer, but Mr. Obama radiates passion, through his chosen words, charisma and presence. Many believe in his every word, others are drawn to his positive energy. Bravo to all of his writers, but bravo to Mr. Obama for speaking from his heart, soul and mind to get millions of Americans to hear his message, have a positive reaction, and then take action to vote for him, and change we can believe in.
Excellent point, Lauren! I was just at a eWomenNetwork event where Sandra Yancey, Marilyn Tam, and Barbara Rubin talked about The GLOW Project (Sandra's new DVD movie). In our various industries, we are likely to run across many people with a superior amount of competence. In my opinion, competence is only half of the equation. Passion is the other half! Thank goodness for our country that Obama has it!
Another viewpoint is that when John McCain's main point was comparing his long resume to Obama's lighter one and focusing on 'experience' and then he chose a running mate who had even less experience, the 'Country First' was no longer relevant as he put politics before country. Not only does your tagline need to remain consistent, but it has to remain relevant as well!
I've chosen to run from tag lines kicking and screaming. Often you feel like changing them month to month. If you've managed to create a concrete one for the organization, then your departments are creating their own... which change. At ReadyDone we decide to poke fun at the whole concept... with a rotating set of tag lines that changes every 4 seconds. http://readydone.com/
That's awesome, Joshua. I don't think every business needs a tagline. And probably only a creative services business like yours could have every tagline. :-) I agree with you that taglines can be over-rated. They are only a piece of the puzzle, but for some people and businesses they can anchor every other marketing message, and I think that's a good thing. By the way, where are the "U" and the "I" in your domain name?
Hey everyone, check out this article about the design of the Obama "O":
http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/the-o-in-obama/?emc=eta1
Nice analysis. I'm not sure if anyone said this already but, for me, besides the brilliant combination of words, it's the emotional implications that 5 little words can deliver. 'Change we can believe in' implies this candidate can bring hope, a new beginning, a fresh start—playing directly into people's hopes and dreams of something better. 'Country First' means nothing emotionally.
And, I totally agree with the commenter who mentioned that the inclusion of 'we' made a huge difference as well. This was they key to the campaign success.
Thanks for your contribution, Alexander. And welcome to Biznik.
What Do You Do, I Do...
Everyone needs a tagline no matter what your profession. Mine is "I teach people how to get their dream home". Don't get you tag line lost with professional words. Your tagline should be KISS.
Jim Thomas Private Real Estate Advisor ERA Real Estate Links, Indianapolis http://www.linkedin.com/pub/a/299/97a
I agree with how he crafted that message, Ed.
And truly key to the whole delivery is his bio-energetic congruence with what he is, and what he says and what he wants to bring to the table.
And, the other key thing he did was to calm fear. The world knows it wants change right now...and we need desperately to believe that change is good. By putting the "we believe in" in it, he talked to the core pride of humans to want to believe in something good. So he complimented them and asked them to step up to the plate with their hearts and desires in their hands.
So in essence he calmed our nervous systems and inspired trust and honor and freedom simultaneously. It was brilliant.
The truth is that he touched on the core fear and handled it with panache...without dramatic charge. People know inside their guts that the world will be in a pretty severe pickle soon...and they do not want to talk about it directly.
They don't want to deal with that head on - and certainly not in a political campaign. The problems are too big. But Barack did...with class. That is a trait and the capacity of a true leader in action.
And I do not believe it was all his speechwriters stuff. Sure, they dressed it up and set him up with the fine spit shine - and made sure all his other speeches, headers, and core messages were congruent to it.
But the essense of his message came from the fact that he stumped the country talking to real people for a long time listening to the hearts and souls of folks...and with his heart in his hands.
He spoke the real deal from his real energy place.
I know that had McCain used the same tagline, he would not have had the same result...no matter how good the copy was.
Thank you, Ed, for a good article.
Joy
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