Trump, the Presidential election, and Marketing...

[Dien Rice]

Why did Trump win, or why did Hillary lose?

Everyone has their pet theory...

This is an interesting marketing-based view of the election results (from a blog I often read)...

"1) Product/Market Fit Always Wins

While Trump made crazy/racist/sexist comments that offended large portions of the population, he did one thing very well: He achieved product/market fit.

Unlike the Republican candidates in 2008 and 2012, he listened to what voters were saying and gave it to them.

It turns out that no one cares about entitlement spending, but people care a LOT about jobs and policies that hurt their employment prospects.

To win the election, Trump did what any successful startup does:

• He found an underserved and misunderstood market – the “Rust Belt” states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
• Then, he determined his customers’ (voters’) problems by listening to them.
• And then he used that knowledge to win by playing the market (the Electoral College) better than his opponent."

A very good marketing and business lesson right there!

This is from a finance-industry related blog I sometimes read...

The full article (which is wide-ranging, and is largely related to the finance industry) is here...

The 2016 U.S. Presidential Election Results: Should You Kill Yourself?
http://www.mergersandinquisitions.co...ance-industry/

By the way, love him or hate him, Michael Moore predicted Trump would win, and I think what he said essentially came true... This relates to the "underserved and misunderstood market" of the Rust Belt also mentioned above...

"Midwest Math, or Welcome to Our Rust Belt Brexit. I believe Trump is going to focus much of his attention on the four blue states in the rustbelt of the upper Great Lakes – Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin...

And this is where the math comes in. In 2012, Mitt Romney lost by 64 electoral votes. Add up the electoral votes cast by Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. It’s 64. All Trump needs to do to win is to carry, as he’s expected to do, the swath of traditional red states from Idaho to Georgia (states that’ll never vote for Hillary Clinton), and then he just needs these four rust belt states. He doesn’t need Florida. He doesn’t need Colorado or Virginia. Just Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. And that will put him over the top. This is how it will happen in November."

5 Reasons Why Trump Will Win
http://michaelmoore.com/trumpwillwin/

Best wishes,

Dien

Dien,

Excellent post. A guy can come up with ten dozen reasons why Trump won and Hillary lost but both your cites come very close to reality. BTW, another pundit, a left leaning liberal who could only promote Hillary before the election, wrote a piece admitting she isn't very likable and doesn't engage very well with the peasants, oops ordinary voters when the election was over. Funny those liberals.

Oh well, other than that Hillary, how'd you like the election?

Dien,

I believe the turning point came when Hillary personally attacked not Trump, but Trump supporters. She said half of them belonged in a basket of deplorables.

That statement didn't gain her any votes, and it didn't cost her any votes. But it absolutely galvanized those she attacked (60 million) to be certain they got out to vote to do their best to ensure that the nasty, arrogant bitch never again sees the inside of the White House.

Richard

I have been wondering about this for a while. Since I just read Blair Warren's One Sentence Persuasion report, it's top of mind for me.

"People will do anything for those who encourage their dreams, justify their failures, allay their fears, confirm their suspicions and help them throw rocks at their enemies"

I think Trump used all five of these during his campaign.

Encourage their dreams - "We'll make America Great Again"

Justify their failures - "It's not your fault. Bad trade deals are what cost you your job"

Allay their fears - "We're going to build a wall to protect you"

Confirm their suspicions - "The system is rigged", "Hillary is crooked"

Help them throw rocks at their enemy - "Mexico is going to pay for the wall"

I am new to the study of persuasion, but this stood out to me.

Gregg

[unpinkpanther]

Originally Posted by GreggP

I have been wondering about this for a while. Since I just read Blair Warren's One Sentence Persuasion report, it's top of mind for me.

"People will do anything for those who encourage their dreams, justify their failures, allay their fears, confirm their suspicions and help them throw rocks at their enemies"

I think Trump used all five of these during his campaign.

Encourage their dreams - "We'll make America Great Again"

Justify their failures - "It's not your fault. Bad trade deals are what cost you your job"

Allay their fears - "We're going to build a wall to protect you"

Confirm their suspicions - "The system is rigged", "Hillary is crooked"

Help them throw rocks at their enemy - "Mexico is going to pay for the wall"

I am new to the study of persuasion, but this stood out to me.

Gregg

This is food for thought indeed