Being Stephane Dion

I had recently sent this op ed to some prominent newspapers in the country in the hopes that it would get published. The official opposition leader, Stephane Dion has had a rough year and I thought it would be beneficial to air some of my creative marketing ideas he might find useful to know.

Incidentally the major news makers weren't interested in hearing what I said. I only realized this after I had sent this piece off, that newspapers are really mass communication devices. In other words they are the total anti thesis of my blog - which serves a much smaller niche market (see I am a human). My ideas are less likely to spread in mass market newspapers so should that stop me from attempting to spread my ideas?

Absolutely not. Hence why my creative article appears below for those wishing to take a gander:

On How Stephane Dion Can Spread The Message

It is no secret that the Leader of her Majesty's Loyal Opposition is one of the toughest on Parliament Hill. Stephane Dion has been in the job for no less than 12 months and there are already rumblings from his own party that he has to go.

Attention span of consumers (translate: voters) has gone down over recent history. It used to be that party leaders had three kicks at the can before being given the boot, now it looks like Dion may only have one shot at - and only if he agrees to go to polls sooner rather than later.

Stephane this message is directed towards you. Other party leader and politicians alike may read this but this advice I'm about to give you is no more relevant than to you:

1. You were elected leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. As Donald Trump would say, it doesn't matter how much your opponents lost by, they lost and you won. Do not take this a zero sum game (your Dream Team notion is remarkable). Understand that the buck stops with you.

2. Stop reacting to Stephen Harper's story and start changing it. I know you have been trying very hard to do this but, he has set traps all around the Liberal boat, and you don't have to play his game - unless you want to. This also includes the media. The media loves to cover winners and castrate losers. Right now you are a loser in the media's eyes. This will change if you start changing the story into a winnable idea.

3. Right now you suffer as not being seen as a front runner among voters. Why keep playing that game with media, and your opponents? So why not change the game? Instead of waiting for a TV network to invite you to an interview, why not make your own TV show? Debate Jack Layton and other opponents in public - start in Calgary . Broadcast the whole thing on YouTube, Myspace, Facebook. When you're done, challenge the Prime Minister to debate you, one on one. On your channel. What are they, chicken?

4. Harper has tried to control the message very carefully, and to somewhat of a success. Voters don't care about the "Ottawa Bubble" (i.e. Harper's dislike of the media and vice versa) but they are very concerned about where our planet, economy, and health is headed. Appeal to voters with emotion and senses rather than logic and rational. Please note this is not a trade off of substance for fluff. Find a way to invoke your substance into quick easy to understand sound bytes for Canadians to consider. This is crucial as voter's attention span is at an all time low. Make a "Dion souvenir" that is practical but informative for Canadians to remember you by. Give them to party members across the country to hand out.

5. Your Dream Team idea is excellent. Find ways to create to create other remarkable ideas (see #3) that can be turned into stories that can spread to Canadians. Further you need to get your dream team front and centre, allowing each of them to use their own strengths, and talents, to complement each other and make your leadership even stronger. Parade them around the country as a force to be reckoned with. Find ways to use non traditional ways of communicating with your target base. Hint: not traditional media.

6. Make it a point to visit as many university campuses as possible. After all this is your comfortable turf, and there are countless numbers of Young Liberals and other progressive voters who would love the opportunity to meet you and hear your ideas. Universities are a great marketing tool to engage not only students but many community members as well. If cost is an issue, do a webcast (Think: Alan Greenspan at the Sheraton Centre). Have a funny (but serious) mannequin stand in.

7. Speaking of youth, get the Young Liberals more active. No political party has a more active youth wing (the Conservatives disbanded theirs). Ottawa is full of so many old (and sometime grumpy) people. Surrounding yourself with tomorrow's generation will not only show you as progressive ("and with it"), you might actually learn something from them. They are best source for market research. Make all events free for them. Have senior members to subsidize their involvement in the party. Don't worry those young liberals will turn into regular members who will return the favour down the road. By making this a liberal tradition, it will create a sense of excitement and party engagement that the party has been looking for after throwing the Old Boy's club out.

8. Don't let your perceived lack of charisma become an Achilles heel. Sure you'll never have the charisma of your predecessors, but playing to your strengths (geeky but fun) will make you a more authentic individual in the long run. The party didn't vote for your charisma they voted for your leadership and substance. Play to that. Everyone said Harper was Canada's youngest old man with no personality; It's obvious this is not a prerequisite for the keys to 24 Sussex.

9. Keep your message consistent. And it should be a message that Canadians can remember outside of (and during) an election. Again having the Young Liberals and your Dream Team spread this message is key. It is crucial that you give them the proper marketing tools to do so. Don't assume they can do this on there own - all the more reason to visit them (see #6).

10. Finally don't give up. You are in a Dip but Not on a cliff, understand the difference. People who are in the Dip with perseverance can get out of it. People who quit midway through are never seen or heard from again. Read the Dip by Seth Godin (it's short and easy to understand). Keep Mrs. Dion around for Support, let's see more of her. And most of all never stop smiling, you do it so much better than Stephen Harper. I think he's jealous.


Garrett Saunders is Founder and Agent of Change, of Canadian Beaver Consulting, a Marketing Service Firm in Waterloo, Ontario. He can be reached at marketing.change@gmail.com