There’s been a lot of harping on Hillary Clinton’s logo since she rolled out her presidential campaign last week, but her moves on economic inequality will likely have a bigger impact on her #politicalbrand. Specifically, Clinton is making it clear early on that an anti-inequality position will represent a key…
The Political Brand Fallout in Indiana
Indiana’s unfolding drama with legalizing discrimination has spawned a nationwide media storm, boycotts of the state, and one compromise bill that just made everyone unhappy. This has caused damage to the political brands of the state of Indiana and nationwide Republicans. After decades of building electoral successes on “God, guns,…
Why Democrats Must Stop Campaigning and Start Managing Political Brands
If the problem for Democrats isn’t the policies, it must be the other stuff — the trust, the emotional connection, the identity. In short, the political brand. And judging by some of the contradictory results buried in Democrats’ mid-term
Democratic Political Brand Crumbles, But for How Long?
The 2012 election showed us how badly troubled the Republican political brand is — but this month’s election showed Democrats are in a lot of trouble, too. From here on, each side has a clear challenge: while the Republican electoral coalition doesn’t have the raw numbers of its Democratic counterpart,…
How to Blow a Right-Wing Billionaire’s Money
Aren’t mighty captains of industry like Charles and David Koch supposed to derive their success in business because they’re so calm and rational and make such good decisions? Isn’t that what’s earned them the money to make us all tremble at their enormous election spending? Then why are they so…
Decisively Improving Hillary Clinton’s Political Brand
Back in 2007 and 2008, Hillary Clinton, candidate for president, had trouble making up her mind. Just as commercial brands must be decisive, indecision at the top of the Clinton campaign ended up undermining the entire #politicalbrand, contributing to an upset defeat at the hands of Barack Obama in the…
Republicans Attack Government’s Brand, 2 of 2: Origins and Future of a Branding Problem
Conservative hero (and top government official of the United States) Ronald Reagan famously said, “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” That quote is perhaps the most iconic example of Republicans’ systematic efforts throughout recent decades to poison the brand of government — an irony…
Republicans Attack Government’s Brand, 1 of 2: The Anti-Brand
In a way, the closest branding parallel to today’s Republican Party is the punk movement. Punk emerged and grew as a sort of anti-statement, a counterpoint to popular culture, commercial marketing, and other forms of telling you what to think. Eventually, punk was coopted and commercialized. As the ironic California…
It’s Not a Party: Branding Eric Cantor’s Defeat
Last week, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor lost his bid for reelection early, falling unexpectedly in the Republican primary to a “tea party” challenger — by an 11-point margin. At least, the press was close to unanimous that that was what happened. “Eric Cantor Defeated by David Brat, Tea Party…
How Politics Disproves “Death of Brands” Sensationalism
Having information isn’t the same thing as processing it. That means there will always be a place for brands, both in politics and in commerce — because the power of brands comes from helping people simplify their decision making. Even so, you can always grab a few eyeballs by making…