I know there's an election when I start seeing ads trying to get you to vote for a specific candidate. Right now, they are at a fever pitch because we have one starting today. (The primary Election day is Tuesday, June 22, 2021 but there's an early voting period which is June 12, 2021 — June 20, 2021.)

No surprise I'm fascintated by the strategies behind the marketing of this new crop of candidates. It's quite funny sometimes. The best/worst are the ads for Mayor of NYC. Here are the mistakes I see:

• Scott Stringer over buys his media, I see his ad(s) too many times. Although he's endorsed by the teachers union, his ads don't portray him as a strong leader...big mistake.

• Thankfully,  they stopped running Kathryn Garcia's ad of her breaking out of a glass box...really ?...Even the latest ads don't seem to connect with anyone.

• Andrew Yang's ad is silly. A one day shoot on the boardwalk and it seems he is laughing about this election. It was a mistake not appearing more serious. He has the best name recognition in the group.

• Shaun Donovan has street cred and a great connection to the Obama's but does he speak? We need to hear him talk. We tend to vote for individuals who can excite a crowd.

• On the other hand, Eric Adams has a powerful public persona, a great story and endorsements but his ads are slightly off the mark. He's missing a chance to connect using testimonials from fellow officers. This will resonate with voters because of the unfortuante increase in violence.

• Believe it or not, one of the candidates name is Paperboy Love Prince. Now there's a name that sparks some creative marketing strategies ;)

Just some thoughts from your local marketing guy...