Visual Marketing: 99 Proven Ways for Small Businesses to Market with Images and Design

96. What's a Symchych? Accentuating a Hard-to-Pronounce Name Can Be a Winner

Political newcomer Christine Symchych wanted to run for village trustee in Fox Point, Wisconsin, against two incumbents. What do you do when nobody really knows you and your name is hard to pronounce? Dan Saal of StudioSaal took the challenge head on with a campaign that asked, “What's a Symchych?”

Why It Works

Instead of a traditional “vote for me” campaign, Saal decided to tackle the difficult name in a bold and humorous way. Symchych (pronounced “Sym-Chich”) got voter's attention with her bold campaigning materials; then, once she piqued their interest, she introduced herself and her platform with serious clarifications, “Not a what, but a who; not an unknown but in the know.”

Success Metrics

• Symchych won the election by one of the largest margins in recent years for village trustee.
• The Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel reported, “Christine Symchych's campaign literature asked the question, ‘What's a Symchych?' The answer is: The highest vote-getter in an election Tuesday for Fox Point village trustee.”
• The campaign resonated with voters; one constituent showed up at a public session just so he could find out who came up with such a great promotional concept.

Takeaway Tip

Names can be hard to remember because ...