Just sent an email reply to a Mayor Sam reader and figured it be something one or two folks may enjoy reading on the topic of Deming's "Quality" vs Ries & Trout's "Marketing Warfare" (Sun Zu) and how it relates to campaign strategy:
Letter, already in progress...
ZD (when I shave and wear a suit, which I am perfectly comfortable doing, in a corporate setting), is a good "interpreter" who can explain the concepts and meaning of each of the 14 points in a way that allows people to have that breakthrough where they, "get it" and can think along the lines the way ZD can think like Deming.
(Being able to recite Deming's bio and spit out a few of his highlight points does WAY more harm than good.)
Like my writing and consulting on Deming's "Quality", I've done the same thing with Ries & Trout (Marketing Strategy: Books called Marketing Warfare, and others) And that's a MUCH bigger hit with the corporate crowd. People love "strategy".
(Who like statistical analysis of the system.)
MAN, Those guys (Ries & Trout) have been WAY more influential to me on my day to day fight against city hall -- and my entire radio career, than anyone else, including Deming.
You see FIRST you have the strategy, then you use Deming to enact it/get the message or widget out the door. Marketing Warfare is how you get the message in the consumer/voters "mind".
But you don't wanna head east looking for a sunset, or sound like the mayor and councilmembers, who CONSTANTLY make all these PR (and therefore campaign) blunders.
Leaders take defense, underdogs/#2 guy takes offense...and you can't get suckered into jumping offsides. So that part is easy to execute (what is offense or defense.
But, WHO is the leader and WHO is in second place is always the challenge in determining. And many times ego gets in the way of recognizing your position. (Are you in first or second place/defensive or offensive position.)
It's hilarious to watch the mistakes on both sides in the LAUSD run-off. You can't just attack when you should shouldn't. And you MUST attack WHEN you should, Then there is the message itself. But anyway, thanks for the valuable input. Maybe something, or should I say, someone will shake loose.
Anyway, who cares anyway. In Los Angeles politics, it doesn't take much to win (from a strategy standpoint). It's all about who throws the best house parties and has the biggest bus caravans to the polls and the most "pre-organized" support/absentee ballot canvasers, etc.
But if anyone actually cared, because they took some pride and joy in what they did (two leadership qualities on the job), those are some things ZD would look at.
Official Website of Zuma Dogg
