It’s Always Election Season
The next Presidential election is over a year away…and yet, the tempestuous drama of the Democratic Party’s Debate season is in full swing. For some states, we’re rolling into high election season, with some votes just weeks away.
The reality: it’s always election season everywhere, all the time. From the day the results are certified, people are strategizing ways to hold or usurp power. And, for those in the increasingly politicized world of Destination Marketing, that means there is no off-season for our engagement with those who wield power and those who covet it.
Last month, I had the opportunity to get to know a fascinating politician. During his two terms in his State’s House of Representatives, he earned a reputation for ignoring party lines when it came to doing what was right for his constituents (what a refreshing concept). When he lost by 82 votes to a 25-year old political neophyte, leaders from the other party called to express their condolences and exasperation; they knew they had lost a rare ally.
How does this type of public servant (who leaders in both parties wanted to see re-elected) lose a House seat to an unknown? While State pundits chalked up the stunning loss to the recent “blue wave,” those close to him point to two missteps in the campaign: letting innuendo percolate and complacency.
Unfortunately, I see both of these play out every week in destinations all over the nation. Both are insidious. Both are politically deadly. And, as Destination Marketing becomes increasingly politicized, neither can be ignored.
Innuendo succeeds because it isn’t a de-bunkable lie. It’s merely a well placed suggestion that something isn’t right that plants a seed of doubt in the recipient’s mind. On the campaign trail, my friend’s young opponent often suggested that the incumbent was “out of touch” with his constituents. Given the 30-something year age spread between the two candidates, it didn’t take a huge leap of faith for some voters to agree with the suggestion. And, pretty soon, in the absence of a response from the incumbent, the innuendo began to stick.
There was a time when responding to innuendo or untruths was frowned upon by the “experts.” They believed it would unnecessarily provide validation to the other side and keep the question alive. But, that was before the internet; before an era where yesterday’s negativity that appeared in that day’s newspaper was in the trash the following day…gone.
With the internet and social media, nothing is ever “gone.” So, someone suggesting that Destination Marketing is “corporate welfare” or that a DMO CEO is somehow “picking winners and losers” now enjoys the ability for such accusations to be evergreen. Thus, today, a truth-based response is always required. The only antidote for innuendo is a response. Those of us in the DMO world must take the opportunity to correct the record each and every time the truth is not being conveyed.
And, then there is the all too common removal of the foot from the pedal. It happens after a big win. It happens when we think that the audience has heard and understood our story. It happens when we become complacent.
We can never stop telling the story. It’s like the movie Groundhog Day. Yesterday didn’t happen. Whatever you said and whoever you told has been forgotten. And, anyone that isn’t telling the story daily risks a challenge.
We’ve seen new City Managers burst on the scene and proclaim that previous Destination Marketing efforts are old-school...and they have a better idea. As they are the freshly minted "expert" of how to take the community forward, Council and those paying attention will often believe the new Manager…regardless of whether they’re telling the truth or merely setting up their agenda. We’ve seen some elected officials flat out lie to their peers, claiming that an aspirational community handles its destination marketing differently…when we know for a fact that it is not how that community does it. But, they know no one has the time (or the interest) to fact check them.
If we’ve failed to arm community leaders with the knowledge that how we’ve approached marketing the community follows best practices (and is working), the blame falls upon us if someone else can convince others that we’re doing it wrong. Respond to every misstatement, false news or bald-faced lie. And, never let an opportunity pass to tell our story.
You need to be in front of your elected leaders, stakeholders and partners telling that story on a regular basis...not just once a year at budget time. Better yet, make sure you're sharing great successes at least once a quarter in front of City Council or your funding partners. And, oh yeah, it needs to be in person. Face to face. Don't "ass-u-me" that they are reading your emails (they're not). Be Proactive, not reactive.
As the late Phil Craig was famous for saying, "You gotta be there before you gotta be there."
And to hone those community communication skills even further, plan to join us in Madison for the Destination International’s Advocacy Summit, November 12-14.