Dear Editor:
Please let me first say this – I support no specific candidate, and I’m still searching for the best and most honest mayoral candidate to earn my next vote.
For the past several mayoral races (including this upcoming one), all I’ve seen from Beth Mason’s campaign is constant negativity and slamming of other candidates, and I have yet to read or hear specifically what SHE stands for and what SHE will do to improve our life in Hoboken. Matter of fact, during her previous losing campaign (earlier this year), I spoke with her in front of her campaign headquarters and specifically asked what she would do as mayor, and she told me about many things she “tried to do” as council person, but was unsuccessful, and then she told me how ineffective the other council members/candidates have been as well, but she NEVER told me what she’s done, or will do, to make a difference. I even made several suggestions (beyond the obvious – lower my high property taxes), and she barely acknowledged them as necessary (e.g. pave the roads and repair the sidewalks, put in more bike lanes, repair the city’s infrastructure, help local company owners grow their business, and just start by putting a “better face” on Hoboken to attract visitors, new residents/property owners and visitors to come here and spend money w/our local businesses). By the way, I do not own a local Hoboken business, but I try to support them.
I also learned that she was in the advertising/marketing business (which I am), therefore, the best advertising analogy I can come up with for her current “Dual Job Dawn” campaign is – she is Pepsi, and she’s constantly tell everyone how terrible Coke is, but she NEVER tells anyone how good Pepsi is (so no one’s buying it). All she’s really doing is promoting the other brand by mentioning and berating them, but she still never promotes her positive brand attributes (are there any?).
Is that really the best marketing strategy she has for the “Beth Mason brand”? Does Ms Mason just plan on spending her money slamming all the other candidates that have “XYZ flaws”, and then back into the mayor’s seat by negative campaigning and a possible technicality?
This town wasn’t that stupid the last time she ran (although we obviously made a poor choice), and I hope we’re not that stupid this time either.
And perhaps, there may not be a perfect candidate in this coming election, but I will vote for someone, and so far, I haven’t heard a single positive reason (in the past year) to vote for Beth Mason.
So I hope that Ms. Mason (and the other candidates) accept this unsolicited advice from this brand marketing expert – please tell me what “YOUR brand” stands for, and not who YOU stand against.
Sincerely,
Keith Cutler
Private Hoboken Citizen