Last week’s defeat of California’s Prop 8 is a classic case of not knowing your market. Yes the ads were heartgrabbing where the woman is unable to get to the alter of her wedding. But in the end, the proposition lost. The campaign seems to have focused their hindsight to the black vote having been particularly skewed against them. Now we are seeing endless peaceful protests. I am writing this to look at the marketing that needed to be done, not to state a case.
A good marketer knows the competition, they understand their own flaws and works to change perceptions. In Prop 8′s case, to just call people bigots, focus on one ethnic or racial group or write expletives on your house about certain religions misses the point. You are not helping change the situation, but instead fomenting the idea of “them vs. us.”
From a marketing standpoint, my suggestion is that the leaders of Prop. 8 meet with the various groups who opposed them to try and understand why. The ones who voted for it were white, Jewish, Latino, LDS, Presbyterian, black – you name it. To focus on that is to miss the opportunity.
Unless it says “marriage” do lesbians and gays feel they won’t have equal rights? I doubt it. What is wanted is equal rights for people who choose to partner in front of the state.
If the Bible is the hangup with the word, then come up with a new word that both can agree to. Once you get into the Bible, you can’t justify your case versus someone else’s beliefs – that’s too deep ingrained into everyone’s psyche. But you also can’t write them off out of hand – they are people too.
I doubt anyone in America really wants to take rights away. But we have to find common ground here.
As a retailer, once you market to the people who know you, do you try to understand why others don’t shop with you? Perhaps you should. Maybe it is the way your store is arranged – it doesn’t seem welcoming. Maybe your employees give an off-putting air to shoppers. Maybe your product offerings are seen as lacking or inferior. You won’t know until you try to engage them. And once you do, you might find some easy ways to address their needs that results in higher sales.
Otherwise, you may be making assumptions about what you “think” others are thinking.
Just today, to return to Prop 8 for a moment, Bill Marriott, CEO posted his facts about Marriott corporate and him personally not supporting Prop. 8. “I am personally motivated to speak now because Marriott was built on the basic principles of respect and inclusion. My father, who founded this company along with my mother, told everyone who would listen: “Take care of your employees, and they’ll take care of your customers, who will come back again and again.”
A great message and one that should be all of our mantras during these tough economic times. I’ve said it in practically every speech I’ve given since 1994 – we’re more alike than different. I don’t care if your customers are men, women, gay, straight, black, white, young, old, with kids, without – they’re all purple and their money’s green. Unless we look past how different everyone is and find common ground, we will only continue to feel isolated from each other and lose.
