How did a small-town mayor break out of the pack? Well, a disarming, confident and incredibly engaging personal brand helps a lot.
First, there’s Mayor Pete’s unusual and compelling personal story. Harvard College, Rhode’s Scholar, and military service in Afghanistan. Then, he comes out as gay and gets married.
Buttigieg realized early on that in a crowded field with 20+ Democratic candidates, he needed to be nimble, creative and develop a different brand. He focused on social media and television, and went light on town hall and small meetings. He appears very authentic on television, and is quick with quotable lines:
“National service can help us to form connections between very different kinds of Americans, as was my experience in the military.”
“I’m still on the clock,” when asked to join some workers for a beer in Iowa.
Buttigieg has a branded look (and shades of JFK) with his dress white shirts worn with no jacket and a narrow marine blue tie that he wears on the stump. He’s short though his exact height is hard to find online. It’s estimated at 5’8 or so, so Buttigieg would be dominated by Trump at 6’2 on the debate stage. While it may be superficial, height gives you an advantage as a perceived leader. Since 1900, the taller candidate has won 19 times, over twice as many times as the shorter candidate.
But Buttigieg overcame limited political experience and a difficult name to spell and pronounce, so he can turn his short stature to his advantage by setting up a modern-day David and Goliath meme.
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