SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Golden Gate University has faculty experts for economic/financial
policies and marketing/branding of candidates available to comment on
the 2012 presidential election. For assistance reaching an expert,
contact Daniel Ray at daniel@mortaragency.com
or 415-772-9907 ext. 134.

Presidential campaign branding, advertising and marketing strategies
and tactics:

Michal Strahilevitz, professor of marketing, has been quoted
hundreds of times in the media and in her Psychology
Today blog about topics related to marketing, consumer
psychology, pro-social behavior and behavioral economics. Professor
Strahilevitz has also done consulting work for both for-profit and
non-profit companies creating emotionally powerful brands. Strahilevitz
can discuss the branding of the candidates, political ads, and campaign
marketing strategy.

Here are some examples of insights Strahilevitz can provide:

• First, and most importantly, the candidates need to remember that not
  everyone is voting based on rational self-interest. Emotions play a
  huge role. See
  latest Psychology Today blog about this very topic.
• Obama needs to improve his image of strength. He got Bin Laden, and
  that helps. However, many of his supporters still feel he has let the
  Republicans walk all over him during his first term. It did not help
  that he seemed to miss opportunities to respond more assertively to
  Mitt Romney during the first debate. Some of his supporters wish he
  had appeared stronger and more comfortable with this opportunity to
  address some of Romney’s questionable assertions. Obama needs to seem
  stronger, more comfortable around his opponent and even more willing
  to be disliked by his foes in order to reach the goals of his
  supporters.
• To seem more like an authentic candidate (and person), Romney is going
  to have to own his mistakes, at least the huge ones. He did quite well
  in his first debate, but clearly has to monitor what he says during
  those situations where he has to say something, but is unable to
  rehearse and be coached in advance. He needs to think of the public,
  even when speaking behind closed doors. Obviously, in this era of
  smart phones, things said in private gatherings can and often do go
  public. He should work on specifics, be more consistent. He will have
  to work to alter his current image of being a candidate with vague and
  easily altered values and opinions.

Contact Strahilevitz at 415-442-7877 (office) or at marketingprofessor@gmail.com

Where candidates stand on the economy:

Terry Connelly is an economic expert and dean emeritus of
the Ageno School of Business. He’s a regular blog contributor for Yahoo!
Finance and The
Huffington Post and his economic, investment, and political
commentary is regularly featured in local and national media. With
more than 30 years experience in investment banking, law and corporate
strategy on Wall Street and abroad, Terry analyzes the impact of
government politics and policies on local, national and international
economies, examining the interaction on global financial markets, the
U.S. banking industry (and all of its regulatory agencies), the Federal
Reserve, domestic employment levels and consumer reactions to the
changing economic tides. Connelly can comment on both candidates’
proposed economic policies and potential impact they may have on the
U.S., Europe, and the world.

Here are some examples of insights Connelly can provide:

• The most important present-tense economic policy question for the
  candidates is what they would do "Day One" after the election – not
  waiting till the inauguration – to resolve the “fiscal cliff” – when
  each has to sit down with the Party leaders on November 7, to play
  “Let's Make a Deal.” What is each candidate's opening bid? We should
  know that before the election, and right now we don't and nobody is
  asking them, and they seem to have a mutual assistance treaty going
  where they won't ask each other. This brings in the debt ceiling, too,
  as well as what to make, financially, of Simpson-Bowles.
• Will a Romney administration move to cut U.S. participation in the
  International Monetary Fund (IMF) in terms of further aid to Europe –
  Obama clearly will not, but Romney will be somewhat beholden to the
  Tea Party if he wins, and they will want their pound of flesh, and
  then some – especially if Romney cuts a fiscal cliff deal that they
  don't like and only vote for reluctantly after the stock market
  crashes.

Contact Connelly at 650-714-5663 (mobile) or at tconnelly@ggu.edu