Messaging Lessons from Election Season: The Art of Talking So People Actually Listen

I know many of us wish we could wake up to find this year’s election was just a bad nightmare. But, like it or not, the results are here, and there’s a lot to reflect on, learn from, and work on.

As the analysis—and finger-pointing—began, one consistent theme kept coming up: messaging. Yes, there were multiple factors at play, but in the end, messaging is critical to connect with people in a way that makes them feel seen, heard, and inspired to vote.

So here are a few key lessons we can take for our own messaging. Because, “smart people learn from their mistakes, but wise people learn from others' mistakes 😉.”

1. Read the whole room: Understand what really matters—and prioritize it.
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The Democrats missed the mark in three key areas where they didn’t read the room effectively:

• Making Abortion Rights the tentpole issue: Yes, abortion rights are incredibly important, not just for women’s rights but for everyone’s privacy rights, too, because the Roe v. Wade decision was based on people’s constitutional rights to privacy. But that’s beside the point. Strategically, the math didn’t math. They relied on the assumption that half the population would be driven by the fight to protect their right to make decisions about their own body (this is an oversimplification, but follow me here…). This, however, didn’t account for the many women who oppose abortion, or for the lack of broad public understanding around the topic. For reasons I’ll get into in the next bulletpoint, it should’ve been obvious that they lead with economy.
• Ignoring reality while touting positive achievements: For the past year, the Biden Administration emphasized growth statistics—like the strong economy and low unemployment—but for many Americans, these numbers didn’t match their lived experience. And amidst global crises and domestic struggles, the positive spin felt tone-deaf. Messaging that leans into the positives without acknowledging the real pain points of the audience create disconnection instead of inspiration. As my own family dealt with a layoff and the high cost of childcare, I also felt frustrated with this Administration. I didn’t understand how they could be so tone deaf! And when responding to questions about economic plans, while a $6,000 child tax credit and help with the downpayment for first time home buyers speaks directly to me, it’s not a wholistic enough plan to address the general population’s concerns.
• Banking on young people, especially college students, to win the vote: Democrats heavily targeted college campuses, hoping that young voters would come out in droves. But have you ever seen footage of a Donald rally? There are a lot of young, white male college students at them!

While in copywriting we talk about the need to be specific and avoid speaking to “everyone,” it’s important also to speak to the diversity of your audience. This is where the power of segmentation can come into play so that you can speak directly to each audience. But even without segmentation, successful messaging means stepping back and understanding your audience’s true priorities and challenges.

Engage with your audience, address their needs, and make sure they feel heard, not overlooked. Unless your offer is specifically for one segment of your audience, don’t focus on one segment and forget about the rest. By “reading the room” carefully, you’ll create messaging that resonates on a personal level—messaging that people actually listen to.


2. Check your own privilege: Remember to speak with people not at them.

When people talk about the Democrats being elitist, I never saw myself as part of that elitism. To be fair, I’m not registered with either party. But when I heard someone describe this elitism as “college-educated versus not college-educated,” it hit me…


In this case, I am part of the elite. I am their target audience. And, to some extent, I am also part of the problem.


A comment I heard really made me check my own privilege. Someone pointed out that, to many working-class people and undecided voters, the Democrats’ messaging felt condescending and out of touch.


Regardless of which side we’re on, it feels like most of us are just shouting into the crowd at a rowdy music festival. In today’s political climate we are either losing friendships and family, or avoiding talking about politcs. How many of us are genuinely listening and having a conversation with folks on the “other side.”


So the takeaway here is: meet your people where they’re at. Speak in their language, human to human. In copywriting, we have a simple rule to keep our message at a 6th-grade reading level because that’s the average reading level in the U.S. Simple, clear language connects. But know that it’s not about dumbing things down—it’s about creating messaging that’s accessible to everyone.


To connect with your audience, remember that you need to speak in a way that makes them feel understood and respected. Drop the jargon, avoid assumptions, and prioritize clarity and empathy over intellect and ego. Because ultimately, the goal isn’t to impress—it’s to connect.


3. Enough About “I”—Let’s Talk About You

One of the biggest messaging traps out there? Focusing too much on “I.” What I did, what I learned, what I believe. But if it doesn’t circle back to the audience, it’s a one-way street.


This lesson relates specifically to how Kamala Harris addressed issues and questions. While it is important to build authority and credibility by sharing your accomplishments, credentials, and anything that would bolster audience confidence in your capabilities, there were times Kamala Harris failed to genuinely bring it back to the audience.


Kamala Harris would re-emphasize her record, which was important, but it would’ve been more effective and powerful if she tied it back to the American people’s concerns. This may seem redundant at times, but it’s actually an important tactic I learned in law school. That’s why contracts often feel so repetitive, because it’s a way to be crystal clear in language, and to make clear connections.


People want to know how your response or your story relates to their concerns, to their lives. So next time you’re tempted to go heavy on “I,” pause and ask, “How can this connect back to them?” Because a message that feels personal and relatable? That’s where the magic happens.


4. Answer the question and tell the truth


A big pet peeve of mine is when people don’t directly answer the question–and you’d be surprised how common this actually is. People do it all the time without realizing it. You probably do it, I know I’ve done it. But I noticed with Kamala Harris, that whenever she was asked a hot topic question or one that required her avoiding a polarizing response, she would provide a response, full of conviction, yet without actually answer the question.


And then I wondered if this tactic was part of her team’s playbook or something, because when Tim Walz joined the ticket, he would do the same, as if he was coached to respond that way. For example, when journalists asked about the discrepancies in a couple of his stories–the one about him being in combat or not, and the other about which month he was actually in China–his answer made him seem like a kid caught in a lie saying whatever he could to not lose face. I think, especially with how genuine he is in every other aspect, whatever the truth was, people would be more forgiving if his responses to those questions felt genuine and directly answered the question.


Remember how in school, we were taught to answer essay or test prompts by first rephrasing the question as a statement?


For example…Question: Why is the sky blue? Answer: The sky is blue, because…


Think about this and make sure you specifically answer the question. What often happens is that we think we’re answering the question when in actuality we’ve not answered it at all.


Bottom line: Good messaging is about making people feel seen, heard, and respected. Whether you’re talking about a big election issue or your latest product, it’s all about speaking to your audience’s heart, meeting them where they are, and keeping things real. So next time you’re crafting a message, take a page from some of these election takeaways: keep it real, keep it empathetic, and keep it accessible. That’s how you create connection—and that’s what really counts.

Which of these messaging insights resonates with you the most? Let’s continue the conversation—drop a comment or send me a message!

Stay curious,
🎈Justine