In politics, you’re either on-message or you’re losing. Let’s get to it.
Welcome to On Message, a weekly look at where the battle lines are drawn and who is winning the war of words.
This week… By Any Other Name.
On Wednesday, Bryan Schott reported in the Salt Lake Tribune’s Rundown that the State Senate is considering a bill to change the way we talk about the budget.
In short, income tax in Utah is used to fund education and other tax revenues are used for, well, everything else. So, naturally, the bank accounts these funds go to are called the “education fund” and the “general fund.”
SB211 would change the name of the “education fund” to the “income tax fund” to help voters understand what portion of their tax money we’re all referring to rather than what we spend that money on.
Fair enough.
It illustrates a larger point that naming things is an often overlooked element of successful communication.
In fact, it is one of the most fundamental and shrewd ways to frame the narrative of any effort you are working to advance or stop.
Think of some good examples: The Affordable Care Act (who is really against care that is affordable?) or the Contract with America (who wouldn’t like some guarantees from Congress before voting for them?) or even the New Deal (who didn’t want to renegotiate life during the Great Depression?).
There are other local examples, as well. In 2010, the Utah business community rallied support form the faith community and mainstream Republicans by outlining common sense immigration reforms and calling it “The Utah Compact.” That was effective because it indicated consensus, collaboration and – notably – it didn’t say immigration.
A name can make all the difference because if you name something, and the name sticks, it forces allies and opponents to use your term when talking about the issue at hand.
But naming things isn’t always as easy as you may think. There’s no shortage of business rebranding efforts that have gone awry.
Even the world of sports is not exempt – often because it’s easy to focus on the name and not our society’s proclivity for nicknames.
Just this month, the NFL team that plays in DC announced a major re-brand.
Once the name Washington Redskins was retired, the team temporarily changed its name to the Washington Football Team. Over the short time it went by this name, fans took a shining to it, only to have the new-new name unveiled: the Washington Commanders.
What team and league personnel missed is that every sports team goes by some shortened version of its name. The Yankees are the Yanks. The Red Sox and White Sox are just the “Sox.”
Sadly, the Commanders most likely nickname option is the “Commies.” Not the best name for the team playing the most popular sport in the country, in our nation’s capital.
Names matter. In sports, in business and in politics. In anything big you want to accomplish, naming your effort something clean and simple that communicates your vision and forces everyone to refer to it on your terms is a big key to your ultimate success.
That’s it for this week.
More On Message in the next issue of the Utah Political Underground.
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