Why 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: ...
Read MoreHow MAGA Extremists Try To Rebrand Taylor Swift
A key ingredient for shaping a brand is the set of values that define the brand personality, which are essential for sustaining a bond with customers. Taylor Swift is today the world’s biggest pop star, not only A because of her musical accomplishments but also due to her values and genuine rapport with such a wide range of different age groups and diverse ethnic and gender factions. Yet extreme MAGA conservatives are creating false conspiracy stories to warp Swifts wholesome, popular brand image to ultimately advance their own political motives. The MAGA brand essence is different from...
Read MoreRe-Branding SF, CT And U.A.E.
Branding is commonly associated with consumer products, corporate images and even personalities (e.g. Trump), but this discipline is also essential for creating an identity for a geographic location. The basic positioning approach is the same – define your target audience, identify your unique strengths, develop a compelling promise based on these strengths, and ideally create a name and/or a catchy slogan that communicates this promise and emotionally captivates your customers. Here are three different situations, a city, state and country, that all involve a branding effort to address...
Read MorePerception Is Reality: Branding And Politics
In any communications, it is essential to first understand fully everything about the other person (e.g. a customer or voter), especially their perceptions and emotional biases. Their attitudes may be based on doggedness or falsehoods, but they exist and cannot be ignored. Whether it involves brand marketing or political campaigning, it will ultimately be perceptions and human feelings that will determine a purchase or a vote. Unfortunately our society and political climate has devolved into a divisive culture highlighted by extensive vitriol and misinformation. Trust in our institutions...
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