Public Speaking | Case Studies | US Presidential Campaign Marketing & PR | Newsjacking | Fanocracy
We travel to 2020 Presidential town hall events to ask a simple question of each candidate: “Outside of your work and your family, what are you a fan of, what are you passionate about?” Today we share what Elizabeth Warren told us.
Warren had a fascinating answer. We hope you’ll watch.
You’ll see near the end that she told me: “great question, David”. We heard that from many candidates. In fact, one candidate told us after the town hall was over that we asked the single best question she had been asked in her entire political career!
Here is a post featuring Elizabeth Warren What Marketers Can Learn From 2020 Presidential Candidates’ Text Messaging.
What are the U.S. Presidential candidates really like?
In the research for our new book Fanocracy: How to Turn Fans into Customers and Customers into Fans, my co-author Reiko and I interviewed hundreds of people about their passions and their fandoms. We thought it would be fun to learn from the Presidential candidates and as of this writing we’ve asked 15 and have all the answers on video. It’s a question they’ve never been asked on the campaign trail, until now!
Here is more about this project What Are The U.S. Presidential Candidates Passionate Fans Of?
At the town hall events, the vast majority of questions are predictable. The same is true at the debates which begin on June 26. Candidates are asked about the issues of the day such as climate change, income inequality, taxes, healthcare, the opioid crisis, and so on. Each candidate already has already worked up the answers to these questions. Heck, you can find the answers on their websites.
But our question is unusual. The candidates aren’t ready for it. After we pose the question, the candidate frequently pauses to think. You can feel the tension as they consider how to answer.
Our book will release January 7, 2020 from the Portfolio division of Penguin Random House.
Important note: This is a marketing blog, not a political blog. I am not commenting on any candidate’s views on the issues nor am I publicly supporting any candidate. I write about the US Presidential election because it is a massive marketing case study playing out for several years, not because I voice my support for any candidate over another or one party over another.
For more of my posts about US Presidential election marketing going back three election cycles, go here.
