…and the other candidates are furniture.
There is a marketing lesson here; allow me to explain.
Everyone and their mothers and the horses they all rode up on have already weighed in on what’s driving the surprising dominance of Trump and Sanders in the polls to date.
The Armchair MBA looks at this as a lesson for marketers:
There is a clear difference between an impulse purchase and a considered purchase, demanding different approaches. Depends on whether your goal is short-term or long-term (or maybe both).
- Impulse purchases (like chips):
– immediate consumption, no long-term commitment, low-risk, who cares - Considered purchases (like furniture):
– longer-term implications, significant commitment, meaningful risk
As chips and as candidates, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders present the most powerful, clearly articulated and differentiated propositions that are intriguing to a segment of the population.
With virtually no risk in trying a chip (or answering a poll), the chips (and candidates) that stand out as different are more likely to get early trial and short-term success.
Other chips (candidates) have less extreme claims, are consequently less differentiated, and thus any one is less likely to gain a majority of trial (poll votes).
After trial (polling), however, things could change.
Trump chips, while very spicy, might present an unexpected burning sensation after ingestion.
And Sanders chips, while appealing conceptually, might not be particularly palatable or affordable.
In both cases, these chips will still likely retain loyal users, but would likely represent a smaller niche
– as candidates, the same might also be true
Chips that may be designed for more long-term market success will necessarily be positioned to garner a broader share of the population and have staying power. While less overtly exciting, they may have a more balanced combination of ingredients and claims.
As election time nears, candidates become viewed less like chips and more like furniture: a longer-term commitment that demands (at least hopefully for most people) more thoughtful consideration, doing research, shopping, weighing benefits vs. cost and risks.
NET: For short-term impact (trial), claims must be clear and differentiated.
For longer-term success, both claims and performance must be carefully crafted to meet the needs of a meaningful portion of the population.
Hopefully our voting public exhibits at least the same care in choosing their candidates as they do in picking furniture.
The Armchair MBA 