Columbia, South Carolina -- 'Back when Marvin Chernoff started this business, it was a political-consulting firm,' says Rick Silver, 46, vice chairman of Chernoff/ Silver & Associates (CSA), an advertising and marketing agency headquartered here. 'Then, over time, we went from doing strictly political work to getting involved in broader communications efforts.' While I was in Columbia, Silver talked to me about how CSA has shifted its focus from the marketing of politics to the politics of marketing.

Making connections.

'The political mind-set has been key to our success in the business world. A successful candidate and a successful brand are very similar: Before, we focused on helping candidates develop a connection with voters. Today, we find ways to make customers feel invested in a brand.'

Redefining victory.

'But there are also real differences between politics and business. In a campaign, for example, there is only one definition of winning. In business, taking a marginal brand and moving it to second in market share can be pretty impressive.'

Inspiring action.

'What we bring to business marketing is the ability to make communications actionable. That's what I mean when I say we have a political mind-set. We try to get an audience to take some sort of action: Choose this brand. Support this merger. Go to this event. Ultimately, marketing is all about getting people to make a choice.'

From: December 1999 issue