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Americans today are shaking off the hazardous waste left behind by the toxic 2024 election season and are about to embark on a two-year healing journey before falling back into old patterns. But we’re tired. It seems that the space between peace and the chaos of political ads and texts from blocked numbers shrinks more and more each cycle. With political polarization at an all-time high (a statement we’ve unfortunately been repeating for far too long), Americans are exhausted by their on-again-off-again relationship with the two-party political system.
Each election, Republicans and Democrats pour billions of dollars into races, seeking to reach and mobilize voters through new “innovative” tools—from peer-to-peer messaging to viral social media campaigns, to the coveted “AI” tools—only to further invade the mind-space of Americans and thereby diminish their credibility and support among the electorate.
Just like flowers or thoughtful text messages can’t fix a neglectful relationship, political parties and organizations can’t continue to love-bomb their followers every two years (or less) using new technology without ever listening to them. Like a bad relationship, political communication is a one-way street.
Now, enough with the therapy-talk. I’m a brand designer, not a licensed psychologist.
In business, offer-driven marketing is ineffective because it does not engage with the customer—it pushes a product on customers without taking the time to learn about their interests, lifestyles, and needs. This strategy inevitably leads to a race to the bottom, where competition drives prices lower and lower until the product becomes a mere commodity.
The same is true for political campaigns that fail to open two-way communication with their constituents. Rather than providing true value and solutions because they were told what issues people care about, like affordability (as Bernie Sanders recently articulated), the two parties cheapen their credibility by squabbling over less important issues, like culture wars and personality flaws.
After a true market analysis (AKA the 2024 election), it is clear both parties have brand issues.
Yes, really—brand. A brand is more than a logo, color scheme, or even marketing campaign. To build a brand is to build an authentic relationship with your audience. And just like an enduring relationship, building a brand takes time and patience. It requires an acute focus on expanding trust and loyalty, not to be distracted by the shiny mirages produced by virality and high-budget advertising—which, by looking at the dollars spent and the increasingly polarized messaging, is the habit of most political parties and campaigns. Of course, tools like social media and AI are critical to helping build a brand (like we’re doing at the Independent Center), but they can just as easily tear it down if used incorrectly.
The strongest brands are authentic. They say what they mean and mean what they say. And unlike an emotionally unavailable lover, they appeal to their people’s emotional, self-expressive, and social needs. Being real builds trust. Being fake destroys it—no matter what new-age gadgets you use.
Love him or hate him, Donald Trump won the 2024 election because he’s real. He says quite literally whatever comes to mind, refusing to follow talking points or teleprompters—to many Party Elites’ chagrin. He is viewed by most Americans as an outsider to the political-industrial-complex and even to the Republican party. Because of his unabashed word-vomit and outlaw (or criminal, depending on who you ask) archetype, people who love him trust him, and people who hate him fear him.
On the other side, we had Kamala Harris with her overly rehearsed talking points, pop icon endorsements, and girl-boss persona. She was the ideal prototype for America’s first female president—yet the people didn’t buy it. Why? They didn’t believe her. Whether she was genuine in her intent is not for me to determine, but it is clear from communication issues like the edited 60 Minute interview, contradictory messaging in Michigan and Pennsylvania, and alleged staged phone call that she is—well—a politician.
To achieve the meaningful, positive change that the American people so desperately crave, political candidates, parties, and organizations need to look beyond their flashy new toys and expensive flash-in-the-pan advertising. Instead, they need to listen to the needs of the American people and build lasting relationships with them.
As we reconnect with nature and mercifully get beyond the 2024 election, it’s time for us to reflect on our relationship with the two-party system. I can’t help but wonder: is this really the best we can do, or are there more proverbial fish in the sea?
