The fine art of political persuasion
While declining to reveal who has signed up his services this year, Tymochowicz cast his eye over this year's runners and riders in the presidential race - and found Tusk in need of a testosterone injection and Cimoszewicz too much a buffoon.
Katarzyna Dębek: With presidential and parliamentary elections to be held very soon, the coming weeks are definitely not a dry season in political marketing. Whose image are you going to improve this time?
Piotr Tymochowicz: I can't tell you, yet. But it is a well-known politician and a presidential candidate. There's not much to be modified in the person but the image that was created for him does not correspond with the reality. Now, that person wants to propose a new thing - launch a social movement for which one needs the ability to move crowds, a lot of charisma. And after 20 years of doing this job I don't believe in charisma being innate, I know that one can create some charismatic features in just two weeks and the person has got potential.
It's not Andrzej Lepper [Self-defense leader] again by any chance?
No, I don't work with Andrzej Lepper any more. But he wouldn't be a challenge for me - his position on the political scene is so strong that for me it would be a waste of time, especially since everything that could be done in his case, has already been done.
Are you happy with your creation?
Any creation can spin out of control. (laugh)
What do you think of the presidential campaigns being run at the moment? Would you change anything in the candidates' images?
I think it might be an interesting battle as the main opponents are very strong so we can expect not only a sparkle but a big thunderstorm in September. Donald Tusk's main problem seems to be lack of testosterone - his boyish look can appeal to old ladies who like slicked down hair, pretty faces and lisps but he is no good as a leader. Well-coiffed boys have little chance of becoming presidents. Although Cimoszewicz might be an exception thanks to his older age, which makes people believe he can cope with some problems. He should try to be a little less of a buffoon, less arrogant, though.
What was your greatest image improvement achievement?
Contrary to what everyone might think, it was not Andrzej Lepper but Marian Krzaklewski [former leader of Solidarity Electoral Action - a right-wing party leader]. When we started our cooperation he had 3.8 percent support and after just three weeks it increased to 16.5 percent. Of course, it was not enough to be elected president but the change in support was spectacular.
And how much does it cost to promote a politician?
It costs a lot of money. It depends on the person - in the case of already known people, who only need advice on how to present themselves at press conferences, it may be just zł.5,000 but if we want to turn an unknown individual into a recognizable politician we'll need to spend hundreds of thousands. But you can save money with a good idea. The Civic Platform had to spend zł.2 million to achieve the same results Lepper managed to do for a mere zł.8,000.
How do amounts spent on image building in Poland compare to those paid in other countries?
Michael Gordon earned $5 [zł.16.4] million for the promotion of Arnold Schwarzenegger in California, Gleb Pavlovsky - Putin's spin-doctor - got around $3 [zł.9.9] million in royalties for the presidential campaign. In Poland the fees are much lower. That's why I'm very happy about the offer I got recently from a presidential candidate in Lebanon.
You teach people how to exert influence and we all know that some influences may be dangerous. Is there a political group you would refuse to cooperate with?
A real professional can't refuse to work with a particular political group. If the law doesn't ban the existence of a particular political formation, then I can't put myself above the binding regulations. I'm too humble for that.
Would you be able to make Tymochowicz win the presidential elections?
It would be as if the host of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire announced that in the next episode of the quiz show he would compete with himself. It's pointless. That would simply be unprofessional. Besides, I might not manage to win the elections as many people perceive me as a manipulator. They'd think it's another experiment, the next manipulation and unfairly so. After all, as far as I'm concerned there's no such thing as manipulation. There's just a negative perception of influence exertion or of the person exerting the influence. So, whether something is or isn't a manipulation depends on the recipient's interpretation. If you don't like the person exerting influence, you'll call him a manipulator. If you like the person, you refer to him or her as father, friend or leader.
How long does it take to create a leader?
It depends. If you want to teach the person to behave and act like a leader, you need months to do it. But there are simpler methods thanks to which a person may be perceived as a leader in just a couple of minutes. We just need to create the 'aura' of the leader. I'll give you an example. We're at a train station. People are waiting for a politician to come. The train stops, a man gets off, says a couple of sentences, shakes the hands of all the people waiting for him and leaves. You wouldn't be impressed by the event. Now imagine you're at the same train station. A train stops, five bodyguards get off and put a metal barrier between the people waiting and them. Then two assistants get off and talk about the politician's achievements for five minutes. Only then the politician gets off and gives a speech. Then he leans over the barrier and shakes a couple of hands. People would then say: "That's a great man. A leader." As you see, it's just a matter of pumping up charisma, pumping up the atmosphere. The right self-presentation is essential.
Interview by Katarzyna Dębek
