In any communications, it is essential to first understand fully everything about the other person (e.g. a customer or voter), especially their perceptions and emotional biases. Their attitudes may be based on doggedness or falsehoods, but they exist and cannot be ignored. Whether it involves brand marketing or political campaigning, it will ultimately be perceptions and human feelings that will determine a purchase or a vote.
Unfortunately our society and political climate has devolved into a divisive culture highlighted by extensive vitriol and misinformation. Trust in our institutions has never been lower – e.g. a politicized Supreme Court, a dysfunctional congress and endless criticism of Biden and Trump, plus contrarian issues at state levels such as abortion, gun safety, democratic voting and gerrymandering. All in all, most Americans feel grief stricken. And pollsters agree that voters who are unhappy in general will express unhappiness in every answer.
Much of this pervasive acrimony has been driven by Trump and his MAGA followers. This core group in the Republican Party tend to be less educated and living in rural areas, and resent Democrats who are today more educated and urban centered. While they are good people, their perception of anti-Trump advocates is that they are “horrible” people, capable of even stealing an election (many progressives feel the same way about extreme conservatives too). They also believe only Trump can save America from total “destruction”, and favorably view Trump as the classic brand archetype, “Outlaw”, defined as rebellious, disruptive, powerful, revolutionary and liberating. This brand character especially appeals to people’s grievances.
There is a lot harmful misinformation today, especially on social media. Algorithms recognize our perspectives and repeat videos or articles that match preferred themes, reinforcing false narratives and even constructing alternative realities. This amplifies people’s negative perceptions on emotional issues. Politicians are no longer diplomatic in their assessment of their opponents too. For example, Congressman Andy Ogles of Tennessee recently charged in a video that “the left is trying to destroy our country and family, and they’re coming after you”.
Perceptions on the Economy, Inflation and Immigration
All these underlying perceptions create a challenging context for Democrats trying to tell a positive story about the most controversial issues today. Number one is the economy and especially inflation. Republicans constantly say that the economy is in a state of crisis and inflation is out of control. While economists define inflation as a change in prices, consumers simply make a judgement on the prices at one instant, ignoring any trend. So they see a higher price today for food, restaurants, mortgages, etc. but this perception does not account for the downward movement of prices in the past year, now down to 3.1% on a yearly basis from 9.1% in 2022. A recent CBS poll indicated that 76% of Americans say their income is not keeping up with inflation
These views contribute to their negative impressions on the economy and even employment. The truth is strong economic growth, with the GDP growing at 2.8% in 2023, and the unemployment rate now at a historical low of 3.7%. However the average American does not relate to such macroeconomic gauges, but instead draws conclusions on what they witness in their everyday lives, plus what they hear on social media. This is a natural human reaction and bragging about economic figures will simply not resonate with most Americans. These misleading perceptions are indeed the reality.
The other major issue for the upcoming election is immigration. This is a mess and there is justified blame for both Congress and the Biden administration. It is also very complicated but Americans have a “net impression” of chaos from all the visual news reporting, creating a perception of total Government dysfunction and ineptitude. More resources and other concrete improvements are needed, but then new optics must add a human touch so Americans can change these perceptions.
Appealing to voters will require full recognition of these pessimistic perceptions and feelings, even if they don’t reflect the true facts of a situation. Ultimately it’s all about trust and forming a credible bond with Americans, but only if their promises resonate honestly with these perceptions.
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