Case studies were the bane of business school for me, but they did serve a purpose. We learned about how Zara and Wal-Mart mastered information technology; how Arm and Hammer (the baking powder, not the oil magnate) expanded by changing its message and finding adjacencies for a simple, SIMPLE product; and that Ocean Spray grew through tactics what today we call guerilla marketing: they got that astringent juice on breakfast tables by pushing their product in everyone’s favorite neighborhood hangout, the bar.
The National Rifle Association is a case study for political success. According to Robert Walker, the former President of Handgun Control, Inc., climate change advocates could learn from the NRA’s tactics. Walker explains that the NRA’s 3 million members hardly share monolithic thinking. But instead of collecting data and preaching what he describes as “scrupulously reasoned arguments” to broadcast its message, the NRA built and motivated its membership, worked hard to influence elections, and carried a scorched earth campaign on its way to victories.
Many activists wring their hands over the political climate in Washington, and the so called “Climate-gate” fiasco. Al Gore sure has been useless, having disappeared from the conversation(where is he, anyway?). But maybe Gore’s silence, and the bumbling at East Anglia University and other research institutions, are not a bad thing. In the early 1990s, the NRA lost some legislative battles, most notably the passing of the Brady Bill. Nevertheless, the NRA just dusted itself off and got to work. They lost the battle, but in November 1994, they won the war: a 50-plus swing to the right in Congress, and they defeated the sitting Speaker of the House, too.
Walker
discusses tactics that he thinks climate change activists, green tech advocates, and really, anyone with a cause could employ. Some of my thoughts are thrown in as well:
- Bare-knuckle politics. Speech and debate ends in high school. Forget meticulously pointed arguments backed with facts. In the end, elected officials, from county board of supervisors to federally-elected representatives, want to be re-elected. Got a voice? Shout at a town hall if you want to be heard. Get an image makeover, too. Dress well for crying out loud!
- Make alliances. Walker and his team won in the early 1990s because they partnered with law enforcement officials. Who wants to vote against cops? Plenty of businesses believe in your cause, and have the smarts to help you get the word out. Pragmatism rules: now that the Securities and Exchange Commission is advising companies on disclosure related to risks associated with climate change and climate volatility, more large organizations with resources can help assist with the debate.
- Move the lines of battle. Stop talking about future generations. People are only worried about the here and now. Discuss extreme temperatures, spiking food prices, drought flooding—you name it, there are plenty of nasty side affects now!
- Sound bites rule. Many liberals—who have been cowed by conservatives to know call themselves “progressive” (sounds so corporate!), believe it’s beneath them to talk in sound bites. Well, no one wants to be lectured to—or lectured down to. Get the message, 25 words or less, out like you’re shooting them from an Uzi.
- Get even. The political process is slow. The Senate is turning into a House of Lords. Angry and frustrated because climate change legislation has not passed? Channel that anger into action. Whining about the system will not get you anywhere.
- Amp it up. The Economist was more vocal about the Climate-gate issue, rebutting assumptions, than many in the climate change crowd. That was no time to get silent. Got pushed? Push back, but harder!
Some may argue that we are talking apples and oranges here. Of course climate change and Second Amendment rights involve very different issues and circumstances—but in order to succeed, you have to learn from the best.
