Deviating From Core Brand Promises Can Be Risky – In Business & Politics

Successful branding requires extensive research, creativity and credibility.  It is strategic, so the goal is to develop a relevant promise and image that will captivate an audience, and over time establish a trusting relationship with the brand’s customers (or voters).  However, when a brand changes course and leaves its original message and values, it risks a significant decline in popularity, including political brands (i.e. Biden and Trump).

Business Examples

Ideally a brand’s core promise should inspire a positive emotion, which is essential for making the customer feel connected and identify with the brand’s personality.  Here are some examples of powerful brands that departed from their brand essence and after a decline in sales, reverted back to their original promise:

• Nike – its brand strayed from the key to its original success – a focus on athletes and their performance (originally on the running tracks in Oregon), which became a motivator to replicate with Nike shoes.  When Elliot Hill, who spent his career at Nike, became CEO in 2024, he initiated a turnaround strategy that re-positioned Nike back as sports brand, not a shoe company.
• Starbucks – during the Covid pandemic, it successfully introduced a mobile-ordering system.  But over time consumers began to perceive Starbucks as more of a transactional company and the brand struggled.  Last year, the CEO Brian Niccol reset the brand promises and values, returning to its roots and emphasizing experiential benefits of how consumers can escape their hectic world, just hang out and linger in stores, enjoy its special coffee, listen to appealing music and go online.
• Boeing – after its airplane disasters almost destroyed its reputation, the new CEO Kelly Ortberg is now re-emphasizing the brand’s original core competencies of quality control and engineering excellence. 

Overpromising – Biden

President Biden positioned his brand to contrast his experience and dependable personality against the perceived chaotic Trump brand, emphasizing normalcy and steadiness.  His brand archetype was a “regular guy” with personality qualities like “straight-shooter, people oriented, reliable, down-to-earth, traditional and predictable”.  He was also ambitious, issuing more important executive actions than any president since FDR and initially gained a 59% approval rating. 

However, after two years, it became apparent that many of Biden’s zealous proposals were unrealistic and unacceptable to Congress and his approval declined, especially with his exorbitant spending bills, the out-of-control immigration, and inability to lower inflation.  The Biden brand vision of an activist government was viewed as an overpromise, and affordability became the biggest concern.  Then his disastrous debate put the final nails on his coffin. 

Trump’s Denialism

With much of the population feeling anguished and frustrated about the Biden/Harris performance, Trump positioned his brand as a fighter and change agent, promising an “America First” presidency that would restore affordability and revitalize the economy.  His brand archetype was an “outlaw”, – e.g. “disruptive, powerful, rebellious, counter-cultural and liberating”.  Trump’s extreme, revolutionary promises resonated with the MAGA segment and even many independent voters, but no one envisioned HOW his novel initiatives would be implemented, nor the actual results.

In less than a year, Trump’s brand and policies have proven to be too extreme and extraordinarily ineffective, impractical, unlawful and dangerous to most American1.  Although his original promise was to cut inflation and improve affordability, which he now says is a “hoax” and “con job”, the results have been just the opposite.  More Americans and even some Republicans have become distraught over the raising prices from tariffs, placing our health at risk, the unexpected ruthlessness of DOGE and ICE, crony corruption, his absurd retribution tactics and his attacks on democracy and the rule of law.  In short, Trump’s brand promises are simply not being delivered, and his continual insistence that everything is working has simply destroyed his credibility (e.g. his economic approval rating is now at 31%).

In business and politics, leaders often want to make memorable improvements, but the danger of deviating from the proven success of core brand promises can be ruinous.