Originality and Your Brand

Amyism #37
The Grassroots/PAC Brand: “Just like any company is known by the quality of its customers, so too is a government relations department known by the quality of its grassroots or PAC customers. Potential PAC and grassroots members are attracted to reliable, successful brands. If you aren’t happy with the quality of your customers, you need to alter your brand.”

I came up with that Amyism years ago. About five years ago, in fact, and it still rings true today. All advocacy groups and PAC’s are in a competition. Your interest group, association, or corporation is in a competition for the involvement and emotional allegiance of your stakeholders and outside audiences. While true allegiance is a long-term process, you need to get the attention of your prospects to even have a fighting chance for their attention.

As Sam Horn, The Intrigue Expert and our keynote speaker at Innovate to Motivate® said, “People are busy and bored. You have to capture their attention by being purposeful, original and pithy.”

One way to be original is to provide exclusive information to our grassroots and PAC volunteers. For example, because I have seen it come up with my own client research, and reiterated in Dr. Frank Luntz’s book, Words That Work, I urge clients to refrain from extensive use of the ubiquitous patriotic quotes and cliches in their PAC pitches. I simply have not seen patriotism rise to the top (or even be mentioned) as one of the reasons people give to a PAC, and that is consistent throughout a variety of industries and professions.

But what do many PAC professionals do? You got it – they use the stirring patriotic quotes over and over, because those quotes motivate them. The problem is, it’s not about them, and it’s about their audience! When you start thinking about what matters to your audience. And, if you don’t know, do some solid research, and rigorously implement the findings.