The numbers are staggering. Since 2007, mail volume in the United States has dropped by 43.1 billion pieces, post office visits are down by 200 million, and retail transactions have decreased at least $2 billion. The figures, worry some in the direct mail industry, could eventually lead the United States Postal Service to reduce delivery to three days a week.
This issue's Shoptalkers: Fred Davis, CEO of Strategic Perception; Eric Hogensen, president of HSG Campaigns; Douglas Herman, partner at The Strategy Group; and Vince Monaco, owner of the Monaco Group.
If you’re a first-time candidate, you’ll soon discover that a lot of people are going to give you their two cents about your campaign. The thing is, many of them have no idea what they’re talking about.
Here are five terrible pieces of advice that you are likely to hear, and the facts that you need to remember.
The primary in one of the most hotly contested races has come to a close, and since we worked on it, let’s unpack the state of the Wisconsin governor’s race. There are many Democrats saying defeating Walker is major a priority, so this is an important one.
1. Tony Evers comes out of the primary in a position of strength:
Evers emerges from the primary relatively unscathed, and he's a clear favorite according to the polls. One poll last month showed him defeating Scott Walker by double digits as the Democratic nominee. Walker has always been a polarizing figure in Wisconsin, the same cannot be said about Evers.
2. Walker's strength is in fundraising:
No matter who the Democrats nominated, fundraising was always going to be a concern, as Walker routinely out-fundraised all 10+ Democratic challengers combined. And while his talk of a $50 million campaign was fairly ridiculous, he has many millions more cash on hand than Evers thanks to the special interests he has gotten in bed with. Can Walker's war chest overcome his polling disadvantage?
3. Prepare to hear about education:
There is a reason Walker has been trying to brand himself the "education governor" and why the State Superintendent did well at the polls. People care about the state of education in Wisconsin. The general election will be a showdown between Walker's signature Act-10 legislation and Evers' calls for more education spending. Be ready for education to be front and center, now until November.
4. The impact of the #BlueWave:
Where there is enthusiasm there are candidates. And in Wisconsin there were a lot of candidates start to finish. Democrats are more motivated to vote than they have been in years and even Walker is sounding the alarm. Take a close look at this primary as it may be a preview of what is to come in the 2020 Presidential Primary, with lots of enthusiasm and lots of candidates.
5. There is still a long way to go:
It is far too easy to take an election and assume it is in the bag. Just as in 2016, complacency and assumption leads to losses at the polls. Winning in November is going to take work, and unity. Let’s use the enthusiasm and good poll numbers to our advantage rather than let them harm the cause.
"When I decided to run for the citywide school board seat in Milwaukee, I knew I would need professional support. HSG Campaigns helped me with every aspect of my campaign, including the direct mail, website, and overall strategy. They were experts at honing my message to fit the political environment, and they came through for me with every challenge we faced along the way. They are a great resource for all kinds of candidates."
— Terry Falk, Board Member At-Large, Milwaukee Public Schools
This April will mark 12 years Terry has served on the Milwaukee school board, including the last 8 years in the citywide seat. We are proud to have helped Terry -- a former teacher -- serve the students of Milwaukee.
This week Mark is recommending the graphic novels The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars by Michael Dante DiMartino.
"As the host of a podcast about it, the one thing I cannot recommend enough is the world of 'Avatar the Last Airbender' and 'The Legend of Korra'. Both are fantastic shows that deal with complex and mature issues, all wrapped up gorgeous animation, great writing, and excellent characters. Even after the two series ended the stories continue in the form of graphic novels, with the final installment in 'The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars' coming out next month. 'Turf Wars' one and two are everything I wanted them to be. If you are a fan of the original series, the comics defy expectations sticking to same quality in art and writing and giving a satisfying continuation of the characters, and if you haven’t seen the show, well go do that as well."
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