The U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform legislation has been called a success by Democratic supporters and a parliamentary sham by Republicans.
As an advertising executive, I call it a failure.
It’s not that I dislike or support reform. It’s just that as the Chief Marketing Officer behind this historic measure, President Obama did a lousy job branding his product and selling it to his customers (the American people).
He packaged it poorly, delivered a confusing message, and failed to research or even know his target audience and competitors. And then – facing defeat early on – he gutted his original package (revealing a costly appearance of weakness in his product packaging) and came back with something certain to please just enough House members to get it passed. Barely.
In essence, the CMO over-promised and under-delivered. Do that in corporate America or at any successful marketing firm and you’ll be summarily pink-slipped with ample cause.
Instead of demanding last summer that Congress have a bill ready for signing on his desk by the Labor Day, President Obama should have done what any CMO would have done: Researched his market, crafted a well-reasoned marketing plan, and executed that plan with flexible precision.
First, he should have convened close advisors, across-the-aisle rivals and neutral industry consultants to define “the problem” and seek input on what’s important – and passable. This form of “market research” would have helped him grasp what he’s facing – including such hot topic issues like previsions related to coverage of illegal immigrants or abortion procedures. His supporters spent weeks fending off news stories on those two topics alone.
If he doesn’t like the opposition’s take, he could continue – with the argument “at least I tried” in his back pocket.
Next, he should have created a memorable name for the initiative and crafted a message about what reform would accomplish in short, comprehensible language. No PowerPoints or lengthy essays. Just three or five bullets (in Beltway parlance, they’re called Talking Points): Provide health insurance to the 32 million who currently aren’t covered, lower overall costs, close coverage loopholes – including pre-existing conditions, fight the budget deficit, whatever.
As for the name, think “Just Say No” or “Read My Lips.” The first catch-line drove President Ronald Reagan’s anti-drug message (actually, the line was delivered by First Lady, Nancy Reagan – but the concept was created by me and a team of MBA students at the University of South Florida), and the second led to George H.W. Bush’s election on an anti-tax message (never mind that new taxes soon followed).
Then, stick to the message. The points could be delivered with emotional rhetoric. But at least they’d be clear. At one critical point, the catch phrase from the opposition almost sunk CMO Obama ship in five words: “Pulling the plug on grandma.”
Talk about succinct, emotional messaging.
With those points in hand, he should have launched a marketing blitz to take it to his consumers. And when Sarah Palin spoke of the threats to Grandma, the Marketing Department should have aggressively countered those statements.
This stuff happens every day in the marketplace. One company comes out with a product, and rivals react – either with counter claims or compelling messaging. Of course, it doesn’t help that his “competitors” in the marketplace wield great power and influence with the people and the media. But then again, Best Buy, Kroger or Macy’s could say the same thing about Wal-Mart.
Sure, we’ll have “comprehensive” healthcare reform. But along the way, Chief Marketing Officer Obama also showed us why Pennsylvania Avenue should take a page from Madison Avenue.
The success or failure of the legislation depends on how it is written, how it is implemented and what the long term multiple effects will be.
Its difficult to “sell” or “Market” legal legislation to the American people – most of which have never been to law school — and do not even know about the laws and ordinances in their own towns.
They simply don’t or can’t understand complex legislation — that’s WHY they aren’t getting it. Prez Obama can only simplify it so much.
I say we all form opinions of it — and its ultimate success or failure — AFTER we have read the legislation document for ourselves, educated ourselves on it fully with regard to the PROS and CONS vs the alternative (status quo) — THEN and only then can we deem it a success or failure.
Let me know when you have done this legwork — and then I’d be interested in your opinion.
Thank you.
Mr Z, you are spot on!
well put!
I feel like what Jordan is talking about here is how a product or “bill” in this case translates to public.
At the level that president is at, which pretty is high on the business and political food chain, I too would have thought the message of health care reform could and SHOULD have been communicated better. Considering how monumental this reform would be.
No matter how much planing was put into the Bill, which I’m sure was boat loads, In the end It still came off feeling kinda of “let’s slap this thing together and see if this works”.
At least that’s how it translated to me through the various media outlets.
The summit should have helped solve the problem, but it didn’t in my humble opinion.
It’s not like the democratic party hasn’t tried changing health in the past either. Obama did some great catch-phrasing in his campaign with “Change”. He said in his statement after the bill passed saying “This is What Change Looks Like”. Why was that essentially the first we as the american people heard that?
Spot on indeed. It’s been one of the things that frustrates me about the Obama admin. Republicans come with a simple,easy to understand clear message. The dems seem to be ‘power drunk’ for the moment, unable to seize the opportunity to come across to the American people with a clear message of their own.
And we all know: whoever has the simplest, clearest message wins the hearts of the people…
While half the nation celebrates, the other half is scared sh!tless, thinking we’ve just entered the age of the 4th Reich! For this reason I must totally agree with the author.
The problem isn’t so much that he didn’t sell his reform package to the public very well.. After all, we didn’t get to vote on it like we did his presidency. Had we of had the chance however, the bill would not have passed as almost every major poll of public opinion clearly showed that the majority of Americans did not want health care reform. Our senators, congressmen and representatives were bought out or bribed. The bill is unconstitutional and had to be passed in an unethical way. Sad…
Although I thought this was a riot… ” think “Just Say No” or “Read My Lips.” The first catch-line drove President Ronald Reagan’s anti-drug message (actually, the line was delivered by First Lady, Nancy Reagan – but the concept was created by me and a team of MBA students at the University of South Florida), and the second led to George H.W. Bush’s election on an anti-tax message (never mind that new taxes soon followed).”
I believe that President Obama is speaking to us as if we have a 12th grade education. I believe that not getting tangled up in a back and forth with Palin is a good thing. Yes, our President could have been more aggressive, dumbed it down to catch phrases, and attacked the right wing, but that is not what we needed or, what we expect want from a leader. We needed a President who is pragmatic and intelligent. You really think that Obama had no thoughts about starting the bidding high, but knowing what the selling price would turn out to be? Of course he did.