Why Americans No Longer Trust Our Institutions
Confidence in American institutions is at historical lows. During the past 25 years, trust in core political, social, and economic institutions has plummeted, coinciding with the rapid growth of the omnipresent internet in our lives. There is a ubiquitous presence of negativity, cynicism and polarization in our society today that fuels this lack of confidence which could have severe consequences in the future. This pessimism is dangerous. However, repositioning the various institutional brands could help create a more positive connection with voters. When Gallup...
Read MoreHow The Election Validated Key Branding Principles
Trump’s election victory was a surprise (and a big disappointment) to many voters. The results were clear and there have been tons of post-election assessments to explain what went wrong for Harris. But the underlying reason surpassing all other “mistakes” involved voter emotions, in particular, their deep feelings of frustration and discontent over the economy, and whether they could afford the same lifestyle again. For the past four years, the average consumer has witnessed big price increases and other financial obstacles, from grocery prices to gas to finding a reasonably priced home...
Read MoreHow Cultural Swings Can Impact Brands
We live in a dynamic society where our cultural values and moods are in a constant state of flux, changing radically every decade or so. A historical perspective of these cultural swings shows the importance of recognizing emerging opportunities (and threats) for positioning a brand, even today as we approach the Presidential election World War I led to the roaring 1920’s with carefree hedonism, followed by the humbling depression in the 1930’s and then World War II. The Eisenhower period in the 1950’s was characterized by an expansion of the suburbs and highways, domestication of family...
Read MoreHow Emotions Shape Decision-Making For Brands And Politics
Brand marketing is all about making a promise that will excite an audience and ultimately establish a bond with them. Exactly what and how you communicate such a proposition requires a thorough understanding of your target’s needs, desires and values. Related to this, creativity is essential for finding that passionate “sweet spot” to emotionally connect with him/her. In other words, detached objectivity and a rational persuasion are not enough; emotional feelings are needed to guide reason and cognitive thinking for optimal decision-making. Importance of Emotions in Neuroscience...
Read MoreIs Conventional Etiquette Finally Coming Back? Implications For Branding
Our society is becoming more diverse, often contributing to polarization yet also demanding greater inclusion. It is indeed a highly dynamic culture today with evolving standards of etiquette. It has been over a hundred years since Emily Post wrote her iconic book “Etiquette” (1922) which shaped good behavior, civility and manners for decades. Recently however, with the advent of social media and its flood of rude misinformation, which is even more evident during an election year, most people think politeness and manners are in decline: 85% of Americans believe society is less civil...
Read MoreHow 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....
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