If you’re 77-years old and want to allay the fears of Iowa voters that you’re spry enough to be president, what better way to do it than to play a softball game at the Field of Dreams? Such was the strategy of Bernie Sanders and staff who challenged members of the press in a light-hearted duel.
Of course, it was more of a campaign rally than an athletic event, complete with special buttons, free pennants and paper megaphones. In addition to the usual propaganda, they also distributed baseball cards featuring Sanders as #46 (the next president). He “bats right, throws right and thinks left.” Clever!
I have seen many other candidates over the years – all in traditional settings. It would have drawn a crowd just by having the game, but the food trucks, banners, celebrity announcers (Susan Sarandon and Yogi Berra’s granddaughter) and giveaways all served to make it memorable for its spectacle even if you didn’t agree with the politics.
The next time you need to convey a message, put as much thought into the venue as to the words themselves. Sometimes just changing up where your communication is delivered could set you up to hit it out of the park.
