Form, function, feel…these are the things any entrepreneur
must consider prior to a product launch. No matter what it is you want to sell,
if it’s not properly constructed to serve a need and purpose and then delivered
to the right niche, it will fail. Any hungry sales team needs to buddy up to an
expert marketer, for he or she is both a hustler and a psychologist.
So…what if what you wanted to sell was ideology? And you
wanted to become very, very rich and very, very powerful selling that ideology
to millions of people? The delivery system is key, as well as knowing how to
target the needs and fears of an under-recognized population so they can connect
strongly to your message. They need to buy in 100%, or it won’t work. This is
far easier than one might think. The beauty, or horror, is in the details.
FUNCTION: To build an effective, comprehensive, consistent
ideological delivery system that will be accessible to as close to 100% of a
general population as possible, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round.
FORM: A multi-media strategy is necessary for true
population saturation. A non-premium television network + Internet will reach
nearly every American household. Using these already-extensive networks,
construct a 24-hr. news channel, which gives the ideology natural credibility
with viewers.
FEEL: You must stand out from the competing news channels,
and the simplest, cheapest way to achieve that is through vibrancy and stridency,
grabbing both visual and emotional attention. Play on intrinsic nationalism and
foster a sense of safety and goodness by creating graphics and sets that use
the American “red, white, and blue” theme exclusively. Make screen text bold
and easy to read, with sensationalist buzzwords and headlines that will draw
the curious. Your news presenters should be well-groomed and professionally
dressed, but not so much so that they appear elitist, academic, or overly
trendy. Report the ideology as irrefutable, given fact by manipulating data,
often using small groups of concurring “experts” to give each story weight.
Invest viewers into the ideology through fear-based news piece construction; an
“us-against-them” tone which suggests apocalyptic consequences should other
ideologies rise and spread. Repeat stories often, building a sense of trust and
acceptance through that repetition. Presenters, guests, reporters all may often
raise their voices, the loudness imparting passion, conviction, and certainty, and that there is nobility in the fight against “them.” Occasionally throw in a
“puff” or “feel good” piece to keep the emotional level at simmer, not boil.
Cultivate alliances with like-minded sponsors, corporations, media
professionals, entertainment and sports celebrities, and government officials.
In every piece, design language and phrases for the “Average Joe,” which will
be traditionally authoritarian yet “down-to-earth,” with a conspiratorial tone of “this is
how we real Americans think.” Give no praise or support to other ideologies
without taking a harder sideswipe at them at the same time. Never once waiver
from absolute conviction in the message, and use disrespectful, mocking terms
towards those who are not believers in the ideology.
And finally, come up with a news catchphrase that, while a complete
and utter lie, makes people desperate for a sense of control in a rapidly-changing world believe you tell the truth.
© Copyright 2008- Marianne Spellman