By George Foster
Founder / Chief Executive Officer
I was so sad to learn of the death of Rush Limbaugh as he has been such a part of my life for the past 32-plus years. I was an early-on Dittohead, listening to Rush daily during the 11-2 mid-day hour.
The self-proclaimed “Doctor of Democracy” began his radio career in the early 1970s after dropping out of college. But it wasn’t until August 1988 that “The Rush Limbaugh Show” made its debut. According to his website, 27 million people each week listened to his talk show as it’s played on more than 600 stations.
My days started with Don Imus (now gone too) in the early morning and then Rush on WABC in New York over the internet. They shaped my thinking on freedom, conservatism, the Constitution, a strong work ethic and, most of all, a contrarian opinion. They were always good for a yuk or two. They were irreverent. And, I liked it.
As a journalist I was trained to look at both sides – fair and balanced – and they made me look at the world (and our politics) in a different light.
As I’ve listened to an outpouring of grief or comments about Rush and his career, I saw this parallel to how we should communicate for ourselves and our clients.
Be Consistent
For those three-plus decades the self-proclaimed “America’s Anchorman” and “Doctor of Democracy” brought his “A” game every day, three hours a day, five days a week. He never mailed it in and maintained his conservative voice throughout. He promoted his EIB (Excellence in Broadcasting) brand and was proud to be behind that golden EIB microphone..
Isn’t that what we want to be for our clients (and even our own brands)? Be true to ourselves, day in and day out. However, that’s not to say there shouldn’t be little tweaks along the way.
Our Vision Statement at Foster Marketing has remained the same after 20-plus years: To be the world leader in energy industry marketing. Our Mission Statement remains the same, too: To foster the creation of extraordinary business marketing producing positive results for our clients, profits for our company and empowerment for our employees. And, we work daily to fulfill those statements.
Talk One-to-One
A key strength of Rush Limbaugh is that he made you feel like he was talking directly to you. You could tell he was passionate about his conservative cause and his broadcast profession (he saved AM radio and was the spark for numerous conservative radio shows and networks now on TV).
He made people feel like they were having a one-on-one conversation. He used language you could understand. He broke things down for you. He was sincere.
Isn’t that how we should communicate with our clients and their prospects in our communication … making them feel like they’re the only one important to you? That comes with avoiding the “we-we” first person complex and emphasizing the great word “you” in our communications.
Be Creative
It could be argued that Rush Limbaugh wasn’t a talk show host but, instead, an entertainer. Whether coming up with names like Dittoheads for his followers, phrases like “doing this show with half my brain tied behind my back – just to make it fair” and with “talent on loan from … Gawddd.” And, irreverent statements like “The difference between Los Angeles and yogurt is that yogurt comes with less fruit.”
My favorite example of Rush’s creativity was an ad he did for a seafood restaurant in Lafayette, La. The ad for Prejean’s had this comment from Rush: “Prejean’s has crawfish dishes to die for…and they did just that.” I know he wrote that line.
Isn’t it imperative that we be creative in all our communications? Seems like you’d say “that makes sense” until you watch most of this year’s Super Bowl commercials.
Speak Truth
His message — always delivered with optimism, civility and good humor — was faithful to two core convictions: the power of freedom and the power of American exceptionalism. He talked politics in an upbeat way. He never belittled any callers, even if they disagreed with him; his program was informative, fun and insightful; but, most of all, you felt good after listening to it. He always promised a guiding light at the end of the tunnel.
Isn’t that the same feeling you want your clients to feel with your marketing communications? Don’t you want your communicated promise to promise that solution, that answer, that light at the end of the tunnel?
His creativity and commentary will be sorely missed by me and millions of others. Mark Steyn, who filled in for Rush many times, summed up his life and works the best:
“To modify Rush’s tag line: Talent returned to God.”
Let’s get started! Call us today at 281-448-3435, contact us online or connect with us on LinkedIn.
BONUS TIP
It’s okay if your marketing strategy isn’t solely sending product or service information to your potential customers. In fact, sometimes the best way to connect with your audience is to tell a story. How did you get to where you are today? What in your life impacted you to go into your specific industry or sell that specific product? Although people are buying the product, selling yourself is the first step in making the sale. Story telling is an easy and fun way to build trust and connect with your audience.
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