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Applebee's America: How Successful Political, Business, and Religious Leaders Connect with the New American Community
In this era of technology, terror, and massive social change, it takes a deft touch to connect with Americans. "Applebee's America" cracks the twenty-first-century code for political, business, and religious leaders struggling to keep pace with the times. A unique team of authors -- Douglas B. Sosnik, a strategist in the Clinton White House; Matthew J. Dowd, a strategist for President Bush's two campaigns; and award-winning political journalist Ron Fournier -- took their exclusive insiders' knowledge far outside Washington's beltway in search of keys to winning leadership.
They discovered that successful leaders, even those from disparate fields, have more in common than not.
Their book takes you inside the reelection campaigns of Bush and Clinton, behind the scenes of hyper-successful megachurches, and into the boardrooms of corporations such as Applebee's International, the world's largest casual dining restaurant chain. You'll also see America through the anxious eyes of ordinary people, buffeted by change and struggling to maintain control of their lives.
Whether you're promoting a candidate, a product, or the Word of God, the rules are the same in Applebee's America.
- People make choices about politics, consumer goods, and religion with their hearts, not their heads.
- Successful leaders touch people at a gut level by projecting basic American values that seem lacking in modern institutions and missing from day-to-day life experiences.
- The most important Gut Values today are community and authenticity. People are desperate to connect with one another and be part of a cause greater than themselves. They're tired of spin and sloganeering from political, business, and religious institutions that constantly fail them.
- A person's lifestyle choices can be used to predict how
he or she will vote, shop, and practice religion. The authors reveal exclusive new details about the best "LifeTargeting" strategies.
- In this age of skepticism and media diversification, people are abandoning traditional opinion leaders for "Navigators." These otherwise average Americans help their family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers negotiate the swift currents of change in twenty-first-century America.
- Winning leaders ignore conventional wisdom and its many myths, including these false assumptions: Voters only act in their self-interests; Republicans rule exurbia; and technology drives people apart. "Wrong, wrong, and wrong."
- Once you squander a Gut Values Connection, you may never get it back. Bush learned that hard lesson within a year of winning reelection.
"Applebee's America" offers numerous practical examples of how leaders -- whether from the worlds of politics, business, or religion -- earn the loyalty and support of people by understanding and sharing their values and goals.
They discovered that successful leaders, even those from disparate fields, have more in common than not.
Their book takes you inside the reelection campaigns of Bush and Clinton, behind the scenes of hyper-successful megachurches, and into the boardrooms of corporations such as Applebee's International, the world's largest casual dining restaurant chain. You'll also see America through the anxious eyes of ordinary people, buffeted by change and struggling to maintain control of their lives.
Whether you're promoting a candidate, a product, or the Word of God, the rules are the same in Applebee's America.
- People make choices about politics, consumer goods, and religion with their hearts, not their heads.
- Successful leaders touch people at a gut level by projecting basic American values that seem lacking in modern institutions and missing from day-to-day life experiences.
- The most important Gut Values today are community and authenticity. People are desperate to connect with one another and be part of a cause greater than themselves. They're tired of spin and sloganeering from political, business, and religious institutions that constantly fail them.
- A person's lifestyle choices can be used to predict how
he or she will vote, shop, and practice religion. The authors reveal exclusive new details about the best "LifeTargeting" strategies.
- In this age of skepticism and media diversification, people are abandoning traditional opinion leaders for "Navigators." These otherwise average Americans help their family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers negotiate the swift currents of change in twenty-first-century America.
- Winning leaders ignore conventional wisdom and its many myths, including these false assumptions: Voters only act in their self-interests; Republicans rule exurbia; and technology drives people apart. "Wrong, wrong, and wrong."
- Once you squander a Gut Values Connection, you may never get it back. Bush learned that hard lesson within a year of winning reelection.
"Applebee's America" offers numerous practical examples of how leaders -- whether from the worlds of politics, business, or religion -- earn the loyalty and support of people by understanding and sharing their values and goals.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 9, 2007
An intriguing examination of America's Red/Blue divide. The authors explore the town squares of the internet age -- Mega Churches, Presidential Campaigns and, yes, Applebee's restaurants. There are some fascinating observations that turn convention on its head -- but ultimately the analysis falls a bit flat. I was left wanting deeper insight.
September 6, 2021
I don't think the author's framework has held true over time.
January 3, 2012
This book made me want to throw up. I strongly disliked how it presented the church.
However - the basics of what it said were very worthwhile.
"People are adjusting their lifestyles for many reasons, chief among them their insatiable hunger for community, connection and a higher purpose in life."
Basic American values - empathy, optimism, strength, decisiveness, authenticity, faith, a sense of community, belonging, purpose.
"Values are what Americans want to see in a ... church before they're even willing to consider their policies and products. They choice people make about ... religion are driven by emotions ratther than by intellect."
"Great Connectors use every available communications channel and new technology to push their message."
Megachurches - "not just selling the Word of God, they're selling a connection."
Megachurches - "Adapt to demographic and social change, target potential worshipers based on their lifestyles, use multiple communication channels to deliver messages that are relevant to people's lives."
"The key to any great church leader is his or her ability to speak to people's hearts, not their heads."
Community and purpose. Small groups and a cause greater than themselves.
"If megachurches are the flashy new sports car of religion, traditional churches are the Edsel."
People and institutions that embrace change tend to succeed. Those who ignore the whims of their customers or scoff at the public's shifting lifestyles and values lose ground to their competition."
Mega churches "find out what people need, then get them into small groups, and give them something to do."
I dislike strongly some of the wording, but their concept is very true but it doesn't mean my particular church has to change greatly. We are a small group. There are some things we can do intentionally or tweak to be more effective and inviting.
However - the basics of what it said were very worthwhile.
"People are adjusting their lifestyles for many reasons, chief among them their insatiable hunger for community, connection and a higher purpose in life."
Basic American values - empathy, optimism, strength, decisiveness, authenticity, faith, a sense of community, belonging, purpose.
"Values are what Americans want to see in a ... church before they're even willing to consider their policies and products. They choice people make about ... religion are driven by emotions ratther than by intellect."
"Great Connectors use every available communications channel and new technology to push their message."
Megachurches - "not just selling the Word of God, they're selling a connection."
Megachurches - "Adapt to demographic and social change, target potential worshipers based on their lifestyles, use multiple communication channels to deliver messages that are relevant to people's lives."
"The key to any great church leader is his or her ability to speak to people's hearts, not their heads."
Community and purpose. Small groups and a cause greater than themselves.
"If megachurches are the flashy new sports car of religion, traditional churches are the Edsel."
People and institutions that embrace change tend to succeed. Those who ignore the whims of their customers or scoff at the public's shifting lifestyles and values lose ground to their competition."
Mega churches "find out what people need, then get them into small groups, and give them something to do."
I dislike strongly some of the wording, but their concept is very true but it doesn't mean my particular church has to change greatly. We are a small group. There are some things we can do intentionally or tweak to be more effective and inviting.
April 29, 2008
Republicans drink Dr. Pepper.
Democrats drink Sprite.
This and dozens of other bits of practically useless information is what I got out of this book. The book dissects the creation of a market research method called LifeTargeting, which Bush's team created back in 2000. It helped them identify likely Bushies by studying what TV people watched, where they shopped, and other bits of personal information. And it worked, unfortunately for us.
The book does raise some interesting ideas about suburban Americans yearning for their lost community. The cul-de-sac and the automatic garage door opener have apparently been the reasons why people don't know their neighbors anymore. In the absence of those front-porch conversations, mega-churches that engage people on small groups that appeal to their hobbies, personal growth needs, etc., are apparently now the new "community" in the suburbs.
Some things in this book are outdated already. For example, I have a hard time believing that exurban dwellers will continue to drive their F-150 behemoth trucks an hour out of their way to go to a mega-church when gas costs $4.00 a gallon. But then again, I ride a bike to work, so what the hell do I know?
Some good information, some disturbing insights, and I'm not sure it's really something I can use in my work. Earth Share of Oregon is not really budgeting for extensive market research right now...
Democrats drink Sprite.
This and dozens of other bits of practically useless information is what I got out of this book. The book dissects the creation of a market research method called LifeTargeting, which Bush's team created back in 2000. It helped them identify likely Bushies by studying what TV people watched, where they shopped, and other bits of personal information. And it worked, unfortunately for us.
The book does raise some interesting ideas about suburban Americans yearning for their lost community. The cul-de-sac and the automatic garage door opener have apparently been the reasons why people don't know their neighbors anymore. In the absence of those front-porch conversations, mega-churches that engage people on small groups that appeal to their hobbies, personal growth needs, etc., are apparently now the new "community" in the suburbs.
Some things in this book are outdated already. For example, I have a hard time believing that exurban dwellers will continue to drive their F-150 behemoth trucks an hour out of their way to go to a mega-church when gas costs $4.00 a gallon. But then again, I ride a bike to work, so what the hell do I know?
Some good information, some disturbing insights, and I'm not sure it's really something I can use in my work. Earth Share of Oregon is not really budgeting for extensive market research right now...
September 11, 2007
Fournier/Dowd/Sosnik, if nothing else, provide a strong wake-up call to sleepyeyed political hacks everywhere with this slim book. They offer advice to Hillary Clinton & John McCain, offer critiques of the strategies of presidents going back to Carter, and delve into ideas of community outreach that have as much in common with sites like Goodreads and Facebook as they do in the word-of-mouth outreach that happens in churches and town halls. Gut Connections, Civic Engagement, Navigators... it's all about a very obvious but woefully-underutilized paradigm shift, and it's incredibly applicable.
April 2, 2008
This book gives an excellent view point to modern America. Whether you love or hate the current popularity of the Applebee's restaurant chain, mega-churches, and the current state of political campaigns, it is difficult to argue against the examples given by Sosnik and Dowd in this book.
As a political junky, I loved the insight into both the Bush (w), and Bill Clinton successful campaigns.
This book is required reading for anyone interested in political campaigns and national politics and ives hard evidence that the modern campaign is nothing more than an advertising campaign of a product (the candidate).
As a political junky, I loved the insight into both the Bush (w), and Bill Clinton successful campaigns.
This book is required reading for anyone interested in political campaigns and national politics and ives hard evidence that the modern campaign is nothing more than an advertising campaign of a product (the candidate).
September 26, 2007
I thought this book was one of the most insightful pieces on political marketing I've ever read. This new community is very difficult to read and understand how to market in a new way. I love the idea of providing communities in new ways. I highly recommend this book. I'm also from around where the case study was done and I can tell you that the problems this book addresses is exactly what is going on there. If we are going to win these communities, we need to learn new ways to connect to them.
May 28, 2008
Feels about as thin as most leadership advice books. You can summarize the work in a few pages (connect with hearts, not minds -- use consumer data to predict actions -- create places that evoke emotional positives, rather than good food, etc.)
Most frustrating, and undermining of the notion of the book, is the quiz at the back that, based on my preferences in soda, cars, etc. confidently told me I was a Republican.
Most frustrating, and undermining of the notion of the book, is the quiz at the back that, based on my preferences in soda, cars, etc. confidently told me I was a Republican.
March 17, 2008
Very interesting look into how politicians and pastors act similarly in segmenting the population through a marketing lens in order to gain ground. This book focuses on that "gut" element that grabs people and sells them. The strength of this book was how it took a hard look at how the future will unfold, particularly through Generation 9/11, now that everyone is so highly connected.
October 25, 2007
If you like politics then this the book for you. My Uncle Ron wrote this book. The other two dudes just put there names on it. It is a really good book and I am not just saying it because of my uncle.
January 20, 2008
This book was a pleasant surprise across the glut of marketing books looking for new angles. The idea of connecting at the community level is certainly something that is often practiced, but not necessarily achieved with great success (as seen by Applebee's).
March 22, 2007
A few bits and pieces were interesting, but ultimately I found the book relatively boring and lacking of new thoughts.
November 5, 2007
Insightful and fascinating look into contemporary society's version of values and social capitol, and how religious, political, and corporate leaders tap into each. Highly recommend.
March 11, 2008
If there's two books you read to understand how politics/business operates today (especially with the influence of the internet), I would recommend this book, and The Way to Win.
Read
March 17, 2014Also highly recemmended by a former professor
June 8, 2008
everybody should read this one.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews