How Republicans Have Mastered Emotional Provocation
As the mid-term election approaches, Republicans and Democrats are already fiercely attacking each other on controversial social, economic and political issues. Each topic is characterized by deep polarization, consistent blaming, distrust and intense passion. In particular, the Republicans continue to effectively raise the temperature with their emotional accusations to denigrate Democrats and exacerbate the anger of their loyal base. These Republican communication tactics also reflect proven principles of branding and marketing. It starts with good research to diagnose the most...
Read MoreThe Cancel Culture War Now Challenging The Hallowed Disney Brand
The Disney brand might be the most trusted, engaging brand in the world. Disney’s brand promise is simply about making people happy – “about wishing on stars and finding true love and living happily ever after”. The brand’s target audience is literally everybody, and its reach is truly vast, “dreamers” all over the world. And its values include diversity and inclusion, which have unfortunately become the focus of attacks by conservatives recently. As everyone knows, politics today has become extremely polarized, often sourced by misinformation, anger and a lack of clarity. The “cancel...
Read MoreNew Insights On Disinformation From The Ukraine War
The outrageous Russian invasion of Ukraine is a tragic nightmare that no one could have imagined only a few weeks ago. The outcome of course is uncertain at this stage, but already there are lessons to learn that can provide some useful insights on one the biggest social viruses in our time – the unprecedented rise of disinformation. In particular, Putin’s clampdown on free speech has been beyond belief, replaced by a dominating spread of false information. The Harmful Dangers of Disinformation Manipulating Public Opinion – the Ukraine war demonstrates how an authoritative leader...
Read MoreA Re-Branding Challenge: Transforming Portland ME Into A New Tech Hub
Maine’s largest city, Portland, has become “hot” in recent years. Unemployment is only 2.2%, the food scene is creative and trendy, population growth of its metropolitan area has been strong, and Zillow rates its real estate market “very hot”. Its location appeals to active Millennials, only two hours from Boston, with a stunning coast and nearby mountains offering adventurous skiing, camping and hiking. But questions linger on whether Portland can get beyond its basic lobster and tourism business. City leaders ask what will drive the economy in the future, and whether/ how to re-brand...
Read MoreThe Challenges to Our Democracy: Trust and Truth
Our polarized society is now facing a crucial challenge to one of the most existential pillars of our democracy – free and fair elections, including the peaceful transfer of power. Like so many other controversial issues of today, passions run high, misinformation is extensive and the “blame game” is in full swing. Democracy is basically a brand, a type of government that makes a promise (e.g. legitimate elections) to the public (its customers). To be successful, democracy requires enough trust in the integrity and credibility of the voting process, especially the equal right to vote...
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