The Three Words That Should Make Every Marketer Pause

What a congressional hearing reveals about the tension between personality and institutional identity.

“Effective in your name recognition.” The line became a drop-the-mic moment, sparking my immediate curiousity about the balance between personal and brand promotion.

The quote was Senator John Kennedy’s response to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem during a March 3rd congressional hearing. In his unhurried, genteel yet razor-sharp questioning, the Louisiana public servant questioned the rationale behind a $220M advertising campaign for the Department of Homeland Security featuring Ms. Noem on horseback near Mt. Rushmore. There’s a link to the ad campaign video at the end of this blog.

When I watched the clip on social media feeds last Tuesday evening, I didn’t assume it would be the scene setting the stage for her final act as DHS secretary.

After similar questioning the next day by the House Judiciary Committee, and the POTUS saying he knew nothing about the campaign, the exchange became the final countdown for the former South Dakota governor. 

Marketing dollars. Those are the two most coveted and dismissed words for any brand. If you’ve been responsible for the branding message in an expensive campaign, you’re aware of the extra thoughts that go into deciding how to spend the company’s money, which they’ve so graciously allotted in your budget. Oh, and they’ll remind you how gracious they are.

The feedback and counsel you seek to ensure you’re making the right decision about the billboard, TV/OTT, direct mail or social media ads, rivals any other feedback you solicit. Not because of the expense, but because of the messaging. Is this what you want the mass or targeted audiences to think and feel about your brand’s messaging?

But what about the “free” marketing? Specifically, social media posts and videos. Do we apply the same methodology and concern to the balance of messaging? Do we have a Stylebook that goes beyond palettes and typography to include post types or categories?

Senator Kennedy’s response to Noem’s statement about the effectiveness of her $220M advertising campaign wasn’t solely focused on the methodology and process for approving an expensive campaign (by comparison, 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, starring Tom Cruise, cost $196M to make…adjusted for inflation).

No, the exchange tilted the narrative when the senator from Louisiana asked, “How do you square that concern for waste, which I share, with the fact that you have spent $220 million running television advertisements that feature you prominently?” There’s a link to his exchange at the end of this blog.

Those last three words made me think about how we balance personality marketing with brand marketing. Feature you prominently. Media and digital content creation allow brands to promote anything, anytime, and consider it marketing.

“Hey, our whacky morning show gets a lot of hits with those funny animal videos they post,” you might say. Great. At what point are your brand’s social and website platforms more about the funny farm animal videos and less about the benefits of listening to Wisconsin’s #1 Polka Music Station?

“But we don’t care about the attributes of the brand as long as we have that whacky morning show,” you might also say. That’s my point. There are a few cases where the influencer or personality is bigger than the brand. Very few.

Strong brands live beyond the popular moments. It’s why the unpopular nurturing of the brand is critical to maintaining its longevity beyond the personalities and the seasonal changes. You can find more of my thoughts about balancing brand and personality in this free PDF.

“Hey, everyone is a brand. You teach that in your Branding and Storytelling class,” you might say. Absolutely. Personalities and influencers need to develop their brand with discipline and curiosity. During a time when the radio industry is right-sizing and downsizing with the frequency of Daylight Saving Time, creating a portable identity is part of your survival kit.

Kennedy’s line may have been aimed at a cabinet secretary, but the lesson applies to anyone managing content, whether it’s a morning show, a newsroom, or a digital team. Promote boldly, but promote wisely. Build your brand, but honor the one that brought you to the dance… on horseback, of course.