Michael Goldthorpe of Hunch explores salience through Trump’s divisive yet effective visibility, highlighting its role in staying top of mind.

Just to be clear, I’m not a fan of Donald Trump. He’s all those nasty things that people talk about. A lot. But the one he that isn’t, is invisible.

In marketing, just like politics, there’s a pretty universal truth: if you’re not noticed, you don’t exist. For all the talk about policies, problem-solving, and plans, what often wins in elections (and marketing) isn’t so much substance—it’s salience.

Telling great stories matters. But having people remember them matters more.

Okay, what’s salience?

Essentially, salience, is the science of being top of mind. There’s more to it than that, but nobody remembers the detail. And that’s the point.

Salience is about visibility, memorability, and mental shortcuts. Lightening connections in busy brains that make us grab Coke over any-old-cola.

If a customer flirts in your category and your brand springs to mind, you’ve already done three quarters of the job. Ask anyone to name one thing about American politics and everyone will start with Donald Trump – it’s an awful lot easier from there.

Want a recent local example? Think cars…  cars, cars, cars. Who ever thought about Turners before Tina became an earworm?

The science of salience.

Salience works because it taps into human psychology. It makes us think stuff we didn’t we think we thought about by using the power of lazy brains. Stuff like:

  • Cognitive Ease: People default to what they’ve heard of before because it feels familiar and safe.
  • Availability Bias: What’s most talked about feels most true or relevant, regardless of the details.
  • Emotion Over Logic: Outrage, humour, or excitement grabs attention more than rational arguments or proof points.

Salience is truck. Substance is trailer.

Don’t get me wrong, salience isn’t everything. We still need to deliver good stuff. Going back to Trump, this is where things will trip over. People may forgive a flashy brand—or politician—for a bit, but eventually, they expect results.

The challenge is finding a balance. Telling great simple, single-minded stories to get noticed and remembered – and delivering on promises to build your customers’ trust. In the old days of marketing Ps we’d call this Product and Promotion.

Simple wins. Because salience matters.

Trump’s success wasn’t accidental—it was a masterclass in the power of salience. While his approach is divisive, the principle is universal: if you wanna win, you gotta get talked about. It’s old school marketing funnel stuff, whether you’re selling a product or running for president, if you’re not on the map, you’re not in the game.

Okay, what about us?

How can we use these tools to sell more cat food? It’s not easy, but the playbook is simple. Find something your customers care about and make that the thing you talk about. Then craft a simple message and put it on repeat.

“Things are tough and only we can fix them”. When you boil the noise and the bullshit, that’s all Trump actually said. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

And while, I reckon Trump’s pretty awful. (I think many people do.) When it comes to getting talked about, he’s gotta be the best in the world… so it’s worth parking our horror, to pick up some tips.

That’s what I reckon, what do you think?

Source: Michael Goldthorpe, 14 November 2024