Meet the political marketing expert battling it out with fierce competition and a win or die mentality
Phillip Stutts comes from the cutthroat world of political marketing. Among his victories, he has over two decades of experience working on campaigns with billions of dollars in political ad spend, and contributed to 1,273 election victories, including hundreds of U.S. House campaigns, dozens of U.S. Senate campaigns, and even three U.S. Presidential victories. Phillip plays the game of political marketing on the highest level, battling it out with fierce competition, multi-billion-dollar budgets, and a win or die mentality.
In the following interview, Phillip Stutts takes us through his journey into the political marketing space and shares some personal experiences, along with insight on the future of marketing.
DEALER MAGAZINE: To start, can you tell us a little about your background and how you got started in the political marketing space?
Phillip: Growing up in Alabama, I was only interested in two things – college football and politics. I even met Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant and Governor George Wallace when I was little. My 5-foot 9 frame was not built for playing college football, so I decided to work as a political marketer – my first campaign was Bob Dole for President in 1996. 24 years later, after three presidential wins and 1,273 overall candidate wins, I’m utilizing the exact same marketing principles that elect presidents, to help businesses grow.
DEALER MAGAZINE: You’ve had your hands in multiple campaigns, and you’ve even been lauded as a “marketing genius,” what has your journey been like over the years? How has the marketing space evolved, and where do you think it’s headed?
Phillip: First off, my wife would roll her eyes on the “marketing genius” reference (she has a valid point), but I do feel I’ve been at the forefront of the most innovative marketing industry in the world. How? Well, the political industry (and our approach to marketing candidates) is disrupted every two years because of Election Day. It’s a win-or-die world. I must win more than I lose, or I’m out of business.
Look, every industry in this world will be disrupted in the next 5-10 years, and the auto industry is no different. I often ask my corporate clients a simple question: “If your business could have one superpower, what would it be?”
What superpower would I like for our corporate clients (so they can convert more customers)? The answer is simple – “marketing intelligence.” Put another way, using customer data (like we use voter data in politics) to tailor marketing efforts based on the customer’s wants, desires, and needs. Marketing intelligence is the superpower that lets us discover customer insights no one ever imagined and turn those insights into transactions that grow the bottom line. Their businesses will grow faster, with minimal failures.
I always explain it this way, if you are making a loaf of bread, and you want it to rise, you must use yeast. If you have all the ingredients to make bread, but you lack the yeast – it will collapse on itself. Utilizing marketing intelligence (data) is your yeast – but if you don’t have that necessary ingredient, all the things you are doing won’t work.
The scary thing is that 99% of business marketing agencies don’t use this approach.
DEALER MAGAZINE: Digital Dealer’s conference theme for 2020 is “Defy Gravity,” which focuses on harnessing the ability to rise, adapt, and overcome. Can you share your own experience(s) with overcoming challenges to achieve the “impossible” and any advice for automotive dealerships on how to overcome hurdles?
Phillip: I was diagnosed in 2012 with an incurable disease. The first four years after diagnosis, I was so paralyzed with fear that I didn’t even Google the disease. Frankly, I stuck my head in the sand and outsourced my treatment to the doctors at The Mayo Clinic. But there was a moment that changed everything, where I took control of the disease and my health.
The automotive industry is facing a major disruption (just like every other industry in our world). Many business owners and marketers are paralyzed with fear and running their businesses the same way they ran them 15-20 years ago. I understand how it feels – I did with my own health! Nobody should have to experience that pain and fear.
Times have changed and you must adapt. In 5-10 years, you will see all industries in the world disrupted. So, the key questions here are: Are you still sticking your head in the sand? Are you preparing for it now?
“It’s a win-or-die world. I must win more than I lose, or I’m out of business.”
So, my outcome for the attendees is to show them how to use this five-step formula to drive massive growth. And here’s the kicker, if you are the only one using this marketing formula in your community, then you will be innovating faster and growing your bottom line bigger than your competition.
DEALER MAGAZINE: What key marketing advice or insight can you share?
Phillip: We live in a digital world where everyone is glued to their device 24/7. Most marketers will tell you to go where the eyeballs are – digital! I will tell you something different – it’s not about the digital platforms, it’s about the emotional connection. Politicians win elections because they know how to build deep emotional connections with voters. I often say it’s infinitely harder to convince a voter to vote for an unknown or unsavory candidate than it is to convince a consumer to buy a tube of toothpaste.
What have we learned that you can utilize? Your marketing must earn trust, you can’t demand it. Your marketing comes down to making the customer relationship journey even stronger, and I will show auto dealers and managers how to take that step.
DEALER MAGAZINE: Any closing thoughts or tips?
Phillip: I wrote a book, “Fire Them Now – The 7 Lies Digital Marketer Sell…” that exposes the fraud of corporate marketers. If you don’t have time to read it, I’ll leave you with two tips you should hold firm with your marketing agency:
1. It’s your business, don’t let the marketer win before you grow your bottom line. Demand that your marketing agency have month-to-month contracts. The bonus is on them to succeed for you before their big pay-day. Never lock into a long-term contract until they prove it.
2. Demand that your marketing agency has a money-back guarantee. If they balk, that should tell you how they view your success.
