By Peggy Chen, SDL
The 2016 presidential race is heating up, but reports show that many voters still aren’t warming up to the candidates. It’s clear that presidential candidates want their messages to successfully reach and resonate with a diverse audience of voters, but something needs to change.
Where should the candidates start? My advice is to look first at those who know the struggles of winning over an audience: global retail brands. Successful retailers know how to win consumers’ eight-second attention spans by delivering unique and localized customer experiences.
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If candidates can connect with voters the same way global retail brands do, they’ll create a loyal, happy and engaged audience. Then, the election is in the bag.
Location, Location, Location
Retailers – both local and global in nature — know that location is everything. As global brands expand to the digital world, they’ve come to realize while physical barriers have been removed, shoppers still want a local connection.
One way to immediately establish this connection is by tapping into the local language. Even if voters or customers are based in the United States, they may not necessarily speak English – and if they do, they still may prefer a different language.
According to SDL research, 32% of millennial consumers in English-speaking countries prefer a language other than English. And, a whopping 46% are more likely to purchase if information is presented in their preferred language. For the 2016 candidates, this means they should communicate in voters’ preferred languages and match their audiences’ preference for regional or age group dialect to really connect.
Don’t Be “Out of Touch”
The next page candidates can take out of the retailer guidebook can be found in the chapter on relevant and personalized content. In an increasingly digital world, shoppers and voters alike not only expect relevant content, but they expect this content on all channels at all times.
Candidates are often accused of being out of touch with voters. However, if they take the time to understand their audience, they’ll have a better chance at engaging with them in a much more meaningful and relevant way. For example, a senior citizen who visits a campaign website that presents them with student loan information targeted to someone aged 25 is more likely to leave the site and find a candidate that appeals more to their own interests.
E-Commerce retailers are a great example of how providing relevant information can be done right. Retailers focus on presenting relevant offers or products to customers based on their unique interests, past purchases and browsing behaviors.
The Deal On Data
Most shoppers know a good deal when they see one and that doesn’t change when it comes to data exchange. Today’s customer expects to have their data collected; they also expect something in return. Specifically, data shows that 46% of millennials will provide personal information if they receive more relevant offers, and fewer non-targeted messages, These same millennials respond the same way to election campaigns – the more relevant content they receive, the more they will support a candidate. The takeaway for candidates here is to ensure the data collected on consumers is being used to deliver those personalized engagements voters desire and expect.
In The Bag
After retailers have engaged their target audience, they provide their shoppers with the opportunity to act. Candidates should do the same. Whether to the action is to click a link in an email, sign up for a newsletter, donate or vote, every positive and individualized engagement, brings them one step closer to the ballot box.
With consumer attention spans dwindling, both brands and candidates only have moments in time to capture their audiences’ attention in an impactful way. To capitalize on these brief moments, it is critical to deliver relevant, localized and engaging content. Will the 2016 candidates will adopt these best practices? They have until November 8 drive audience engagement to not just win the vote, but literally take it all the way to the check out.
Peggy Chen is Vice President, Marketing for SDL. She is responsible for driving global go-to-market strategy for SDL’s Global Content Technology portfolio of solutions. She enjoys cooking (working through all of Thomas Keller’s cook books), baking (trying to perfect the French macaroon), traveling and photography.
