How Voters Perceive The Brand Image Of Biden & Trump
The ultimate goal of branding is to cultivate an emotional connection with the customer, based on shared values (e.g. trust, credibility, etc.) and perceptions (e.g. how one feels about the brand). This is often called the brand essence, personality or image. However, researching a brand image can be challenging as it is difficult for most people to articulate these feelings. Instead recognizable contrasting analogies to well-known brand types are often used in market research to clarify customer perceptions and feelings – e.g. celebrities (e.g. Meryl Streep vs. Madonna), professions (e.g....
Read MoreHow Trumpism Is Re-Positioning “Justice”
The unanimous verdict finding Donald Trump guilty of all 34 counts in the NY criminal case opened the floodgates for vitriolic criticism and vengeful retribution by Conservatives against Democrats and Biden. More alarming was their outrage over a core pillar of our democracy, the entire judicial system. Behind this latest controversy was, yet again, politics, including two different strategies for trying to position our judicial system. This endeavor is best understood through a branding lens. Positioning a brand is essential for shaping an optimal message to attract consumers/voters. ...
Read MoreThe Democratic Brand Faces Challenges From the Unhappy Youth
The recent Global Happiness Ranking from Gallup stunned many when it reported that America dropped out of the top 20 for the first time, falling from 15th place to 23rd. While the self-reported happiness fell for every age group, the most precipitous drop was the under 30 group, down to a disastrous 62nd. This disturbing emotional change in the Gen Z segment, which now makes up about a fifth of the U.S. population, presents new challenges for the Democratic Party brand in this election year, especially in light of the spread of misleading social media among those under 30. Finland’s...
Read MoreWhy Harvard’s Brand Reputation Is In Trouble
There is turmoil at Harvard, long considered the pinnacle of academic excellence. A series of mishaps in the past year has galvanized wide spread criticism and has created a disturbing perception of this historic university. While the causes are varied and complex, most relate to a classic strategic mistake: straying away from its core brand value, the ideal of truth, or as emblazoned on Harvard’s seal, “veritas”. Harvard was the first college in America, established in 1636. Its first commencement had nine graduates, and 134 years later, eight of its alumni were signers of the...
Read More“I Didn’t Leave – The Re-Branded Republican Party Left Me”
American history has never seen such an abrupt brand transformation of a major political party, the Republican Party. Most of the core principles and values of the Republican brand have been turned upside down by Trump and his MAGA followers in the past eight years. Around the country, long term Republican loyalists are saying…”I didn’t leave the Party; no, the Party left me”. This sentiment is common among the 30% of Republicans who voted for Haley in the primaries. Will these worried tradition minded voters support Trump after all, or just not vote, or even turn to Biden? Analogy: ...
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