The Slogan Strategy

Hey Friends,

Good morning to everyone, unless you're tired of hearing people say "Hormuz" all the time, in which case, today is yet another day.

Everything is marketing.

When the US government entered into a ceasefire with Iran, Trump said it was "a big day for world peace." We are still within that ceasefire despite the lack of cessation of firing.

We’re Making America Great Again, despite not knowing on which day exactly it was great and what that great day was like, that this day is not.

All you need is a slogan.

Almost daily, we're making progress in negotiating a peace deal with Iran. Those negotiations are always "Going very well" and "No other administration has been able to do this." The war will end "very soon," and gas prices "will come down quickly." Yet no party has agreed to any of the other party's terms, Iran continues to block the Straight of Hormuz, and has more negotiating power now than it did 6 months ago, before the war began.

The most interesting turn of events is that Iran's government includes some of the worst people on the planet in a bathrobe. But here at the shining city on a hill, every time the president of the United States says we have a deal to end the war, we have to check with Iran to find out if it's true. Normally, I wouldn't trust anyone in a bathrobe to tell me the truth, but now one has become a fact checker.

This sounds like a messaging problem. A slogan will fix it all.

We're entering into a time when messaging is more powerful than ever, especially when someone can be clear. With all the massive amount of content being produced and thrust upon us, the message that is simple, catchy, and clear is the one that finds purchase.

Let's get to The News.

• E. Jean Carol is under criminal investigation for suing Trump and for having a cool name. I've always wanted a nickname, cool initials, or something, but I'm stuck with capitalizing the The in my newsletter name. But it's all for the better, because it's coming back to bite E. (for those who are on a first-letter basis with the author). You see, in America, it's illegal to sue Donald Trump, at least for now, and having a catchy name ends up being illegal because one might attract attention reserved for the president. Especially if one wins an $83 million judgment against Mr. Trump. So this week, the DOJ is throwing the book at E., and that book is the Art of the Deal. (more)
  
• This week, Jill Biden enjoyed an interview with CBS News Sunday Morning, where they asked her what her reaction was to Joe Biden's debate appearance that cost him his reelection. What she didn't say was that if his opponent was a mime who stood off to the side juggling bowling pins, he still would have lost the debate. More decisively, in fact.
  
  But here's what she did say: "I don't know what happened. I mean, when I, as I watched it, I thought, 'Oh my God, he's having a stroke,' and it scared me to death." Some say these comments reflect her original sentiment, except that it was exactly the opposite. For example, in the days after the debate, she praised Joe's performance by saying that he "answered every question," which is one of the greatest achievements of all time. (more)
  
• Ken Paxton sounds like he's reading when giving a campaign speech. This week, Ken Paxton secured the Republican nomination for a Senate seat in Texas, thanks to Donald Trump's endorsement and their shared love for grifting. As he gave his acceptance speech, he went after his Democrat opponent, James Talarico, because that's what the teleprompter said to do. He said, “I’ve even heard some people call him James Talafreako,” which would have been cutting if he didn't end it with "Now pause for laughter."
• Claude is much easier to say than Chat GPT, and perhaps that’s why their parent company, Anthropic has just surpassed Open AI as the most valuable AI company on Earth, a planet which is primarily used to house the data centers for said AI companies. To read more about the story and these AI companies, Google it.
• Orange is the new Green. Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent announced the department had prepared designs for a $250 bill with Trump‘s face on it, which, thanks to rising prices, will be worth almost nothing. (more)
  

That's it for this week.

Remember: The Lorem Ipsum may change its name to T. Lorem Ipsum to be more mysterious, but that doesn't mean we want to be mysterious to your friends. Make sure you share a copy.

Have a great weekend!