message-testing has its role! It can help select different versions of tactical messaging. But it is no substitute for strategy. The best strategic messages may well test poorly! Experimentation, taking risks, vibing w/ culture, motivating ppl: that's what's needed, not bloodless quantbrain-ism.
Message-testing as strategy basically cedes all persuasion to other actors. That's a catastrophic error. Using carefully focus-group tested messaging hurts Democrats' credibility with voters. We are clearly in a crisis and receiving messages from the Ds that sound like corporate HR speak is bad.