NEW YORK CITY-The Occupy Wall Street protests that have captivated the nation since they erupted in New York City in mid-September are not so captivating to the CRE industry.

In the latest GlobeSt.com poll, readers were left with three potential choices to complete the sentence “Occupy Wall Street protesters are…” The vast majority of the hundreds who responded--45%--chose “wasting time with unformed messages,” while 26% chose “nut jobs” and 29% said that they support the protests and that it’s time for change.

Scott Testa, a marketing professor at Philadelphia’s Cabrini College, says that, while he wouldn’t call the protestors “nuts,” he does see some issues with their messaging.

“At the end of the day, some of their actions in theory make a lot of sense, but I don’t think from a messaging standpoint as a group that it’s very clear what they stand for,” Testa says. “That’s probably the problem.”

As an example, Testa offered the so-called “Day of Disruption” several weeks ago, when the protests descended on the New York subway system. “The typical one percenter doesn’t take the subway to and from work every day,” he points out. “That to me, from a messaging standpoint, made no sense.” This disjointed messaging, borne out in the poll results, has led to some confusion about what the point is.

Testa says that, given the access to social media and attention from national media, the protesters are perhaps missing an opportunity to solidify their message and widen their net. Although he admits that from a historical perspective all is not lost.

“Usually when the movements mature, these groups find leaders who are able to really consistently have a message and get things done, whether it’s a union or the Civil Rights movement,” he says. “Those movements were generally very fragmented until there was some type of leadership structure in place and they became ultimately very effective.”