There's no advantage in doing what everyone else is doing.

I had another post partially written for this week but decided to build on something I touched on in my last newsletter—the US Presidential Election campaign trail—and I promise to keep it insightful and non-partisan. So, next week (or later this week), look out for a bonus edition.

The all-singing (and all-dancing) campaign trail.

This weekend, we co-hosted a fundraiser, and a number of elected officials spoke about the closeness of the election. We were also lucky enough to have invited Mandy Patinkin and his wife Katherine Grody as guest speakers—or rather, guest singers—as Mandy performed a beautiful rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in Yiddish. The guest speakers shared how they had collaborated with retired military leaders from both sides of the political divide, to understand their perspectives on the race. Thanks to the couple’s son, Gideon Patinkin these videos made their way onto TikTok and garnered over a million views.

Civic participation: the only adult responsibility young people don't seem to want.

Most of the speeches from the elected officials focused on the need to encourage young people to vote. The data they quoted indicated a real disconnection between young people and the American democratic system—even with Taylor Swift’s influence! Only about 30% of “first-time voters” actually go to the polls (the speakers said 20%, but for this newsletter, I could only validate the number of 30%). This is staggering, especially when compared to other privileges afforded to new adults: drinking alcohol at 21 (46%), having sex (55%), and the 59% of 18-year-olds who have a driver's license.

There have been some great efforts focused on young people. For example, I loved this billboard that my friend and creative director Toby Barlow created (and paid for) in Detroit. Again, not trying to persuade anyone one way or the other but a fantastic headline designed to motivate all new voters to use the power of their vote... I hope it works.

Campaign organizers, check your bias!

Having said that, I worry this strong focus on youth is another example of our cultural ageism. The campaign teams are young and enthusiastic, so it’s natural for them to think about people like themselves—it's easy to speak to people like them; they know where they hang out; they like hanging out in these places; and it’s comfortable for them. But for me, the big question is whether this will be effective at increasing the number of ballots in the box on election day. Even when speaking to older campaign volunteers, many seem to be trying to recreate/re-live their own entry into politics when they were younger, rather than considering the relative impact they might have if they instead focused on their peers or neighbors who are of a similar age.

With only a few weeks to go, both sides have to focus on what will drive immediate impact. At this stage I seriously question the logic of putting all your attention and resources into a target audience is so unlikely to actually vote and who consistently claim to be disengaged and uninterested in voting.

In the for-profit marketing world, you’d certainly get fired if you put all your marketing budget into a single target audience that had never used the product and 70-80% of them showed no interest in the category. I’ve seen too many failed campaigns that tried to shift the fortunes of an ailing brand by appealing to a younger target. People don't buy anything because the advertiser shows people like them buying a product. (Maybe they did once, but those days are over). People buy products because they are valuable or useful, because they fit their needs (such as availability, affordability and easy) and because the organization that makes them have demonstrated an understanding of what really matters to their customers. Image only marketing no longer works because consumers of all ages are smart to it — something Unilever’s should think about as they assess their “sub par” marketing (as reported by WARC ). What's even worse about marketing initiative that appeal to younger people is that they often alienate existing customers because the marketing implies that the product is not for them and, more importantly, that the brand is no longer interested in them as customers. No political party wants to end up in Harley Davidson's shoes on the eve of the election!

Persuading the persuadables.

When it comes to this important election, the 50+ audience deserves not to be overlooked. These are the core voters on both sides of the election, and ignoring them—or giving the impression that their vote is not important—could weaken either party’s performance. Their numbers are as large, if not larger, than younger age groups, and they have a history of high voter turnout (up to 70%). They also have deep feelings about the importance of the democratic process. Most of the people in this age group will vote, so campaign messaging can focus on securing a vote for one candidate over another.

In my direct marketing days, we used to call this “persuading the persuadables.” In any communication task, there’s always a small number of people who will respond to your message because they were going to do so anyway. You have to stop thinking about these people, even though they might make you feel like your communications are effective—they are not! Your message hasn’t made a difference because they were going to do this regardless of what you said. At the other end of the spectrum of 'persuadability' are those individuals are who are totally unpersuadable — no matter how clever, impactful, creative, or inspiring your message is, these people will not do what you want them to do. Ignore them too, there’s nothing you can say to win them over. The core audience the political campaigner needs to focus on is the group in between : 'The persuadables' — people who are planning to vote and could be swayed with the right information or appeal. I believe the 50+ audience is much more persuadable because you don't have to waste time convincing them to vote. You just need to find the most powerful, relevant, and compelling message that will change where they make a cross on the ballot (or whatever mechanism it is in your state!)

There's real gains to be had by recognising the value and persuadability of older voters. Not least because there's a number of media and messaging opportunities that the other guys have overlooked because they're so focused on young people. Here are just a couple of immediate ideas that spring to mind...i'm not sure they are good ideas but they demonstrate the principle.

1. Second homeowners can supercharge the power of their vote. The 50+ audience is more likely to own a second home. If you can teach older, vacation-home owners how to register to vote in the place where their vote will have the most impact, you are essentially showing them how they could supercharge their vote to make more of a difference. Campaign materials such as simple “how-to” guides could be placed in commuter hubs, on trains, in bus seat pockets, roadside and other commuter media placements. You could even offer to remind them (by text or email) to switch their voter registration back to its original location after the election.
2. Older women can persuade younger women. A large percentage of 50+ individuals are family-oriented and frequently gather with multiple generations. This presents an opportunity to create materials that help older voters encourage their children and even grandchildren to vote. There’s also a huge opportunity for older women to engage younger women on the importance of women's voices. Data suggests younger women trust and are influenced by older women who share the same experience of systemic gender bias.
3. Use homeowners as media to amplify perceptions of popularity. Most people aren't swayed by policy details but are influenced by what they think people like them are doing. Since most homeowners are 50+, persuading them to make their political choice visible to their neighbors, ideally with yard signs or banners that make the name of the candidate familiar to their neighbors and give the impression that this is a popular choice of people like them.
4. Use older, high-profile individuals to persuade their peers. While Gideon Patinkin’s videos of military leaders on TikTok are great, if you want to shift the attitudes of voters, it’s essential to ensure this powerful content also reaches the 50+ audience. Advocacy from people like these military Generals would be much more impactful if it were directed toward the age group who are actually going to vote.
5. Lean into the social and generational responsibility of older voters. Older voters don’t just think about themselves. With the low likelihood of young people voting, older Americans’ votes will disproportionately impact their children’s and grandchildren’s futures. Engage older voters with issues like student loans, manufacturing jobs, affordable housing, inflation, reproductive rights, and immigration, framing these issues in terms of their children’s and grandchildren’s futures.

Post Script: Please don’t misunderstand me. I think overcoming this disconnect between young people and our political process needs all the attention in the world. It shouldn’t be something that happens one month before an election; it needs to be a consistent effort. My mind goes to offering meaningful incentives "a bounty" or a lottery if you like— vote for the first time and your name will be added to a draw with the first prize being free rent for a year (about $21,000)... or get some philanthropists involved and offer the chance to win the value of an average home in the region ($339K across the seven swing states).