As we wind down to the last days of what seems to be the worst, most negative, election in our nation’s history, it’s a good time to see what an advertising and marketing pro can learn from it. I have a few takeaways.

1) None of this really applies in business. You can’t lie about your competitor or insult your customer base in marketing. You’ll get sued and run out of business.

2) The press is more deceptive than we ad folks are.

3) Strong negative emotions have the power to move audiences. We saw huge poll swings following both the “pussy tape” and the FBI letter.

4) Identity marketing creates very strong loyalty. Large segments of each stayed loyal despite damning evidence that both candidates were extremely flawed. This is good news for marketers who build strong cult following for their brands but not great news for people who’d like to see change in Washington.

Have fun watching the last days of this shit show. It’s bound to have a few more splatters.

Posted on: November 3, 2016, by : Jimmy Gilmore