N.B. I don’t own the rights to the images on my blogs and website. Howerver, due to the Fair Use act, I have taken these from the Bing online images on Google.
A Branding Perspective: Why Corporations Oppose Voter Suppression
The rising tide of corporate resistance to new voting suppression laws is gaining momentum every day. The possible ramifications of this opposition are wide and deep. Conservatives urge business to stay out of politics, even though many enjoy receiving corporate contributions. Their rationale is a baseless argument that such modifications are essential for eliminating voter fraud, which has been totally disproven. On the other hand, many view these new voter restrictions as an alarming threat to our democracy, similar to the January 6...
read moreHow Politics Are Now Undermining Environmental Car Brands
A fundamental challenge for the development of a strong brand positioning is to create a distinctive “reason for being” that is highly relevant to target customers and different from competition. In 2001 Toyota introduced the market’s first gas-electric hybrid, Prius, and it quickly became the global leader in green cars. Its core “reason for being” was the environmental benefit of “saving the planet”. In comparison to gas driven cars, driving a Prius would also cost much less and would make Toyota more competitive around the world. The...
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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...
read moreHow Ken Burns’ “American Revolution” Undermines The Trump Brand
On Sunday, November 16, the latest Ken Burns documentary, “The American Revolution” will premiere on PBS. After 9 years in production, Burns considers this his most consequential public-spirited program ever. It’s vision of America is an ongoing moral experiment, defined by Enlightenment ideas and values that inspired the Revolution: reason, civic duty, truth and shared humanity. These ideals contrast with the Trump brand values of dominance, loyalty to the leader and his view of democracy as transactional and populist. For Trump, power...
read moreHow The Dutch Shaped New York City’s Unique Brand
This year is New York City’s 400th birthday. However, there will be no big celebration as promised by Mayor Eric Adams earlier in the year, due to all the controversies leading to his departure as a candidate for mayor, plus the endless chaos from Trumpism. Furthermore, New Yorkers are not as wistful about their history, compared to other cities like Boston. Instead, most attention has been focused on the mayor’s race between the 34-year-old Islamic outlier, Zohran Mamdani (originally from Uganda), and the older (67), establishment candidate,...
read moreDoes Trump Deserve The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize?
It is no secret that Trump has been vigorously lobbying for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. This obsession is consistent with his enduring search for cult-like worship and recognition. He is still complaining about not getting an Emmy for his reality TV show, The Apprentice, and continues to claim the 2020 Presidential election was rigged and that he won. Now he brags that he is the world’s greatest peacemaker and his accomplishments deserve the Nobel Peace Prize. But do they? A factual examination of the criteria for this Peace prize matched...
read moreIt’s Basic: The Democrat’s Brand Must Offer What Voters Want
The starting point for the development or repositioning of any brand is a deep dive into what exactly their audience wants, their perceived hang-ups, and how intensely they feel. The Republicans did this and offered proposals that won the Presidential election. The Democrats complained a lot about Trump and his vision for America but did not provide any credible solution that would address voters’ pain. In short, they didn’t do their homework well. Now the Democratic brand is in big trouble. The appeal of their brand is at its lowest point in...
read moreHow Trump Has Tarnished The Brand Image Of American Goods Abroad.
The goal for any brand is to create a strong bond with consumers. Brand loyalty is sustained by maintaining a perception of trust, credibility and authenticity. Price always matters, but emotions can play a crucial role for keeping customers happy and satisfied. Historically American companies have been leaders for establishing significant brand franchises in Canada, Europe and the rest of the world. With their pioneering brand marketing acumen and credible product quality, the American heritage has been an essential ingredient for the...
read moreTrump Claims Our Economic System Is A “Disaster” – Really?
President Trump uses the word “disaster” to describe not only the economy he inherited from the “disastrous Biden administration”, but also for the fundamental drivers behind our economic growth: international trade, universities and their scientific research, technology for innovation, immigration talent, etc. Our economic system is like a brand in that both are created to be strategic and sustainable, with core promises. Indeed, Trump has said only he could reverse the “staggering American decline”. The extraordinary disruption that Trump...
read moreHow New Brand Names Reveal Emerging Values And Trends
A name is the face of a brand, the first impression of what a brand is all about – e.g. its values, promises and image. Ideally a new name should also consider social trends that are pertinent. Today, more young parents are choosing unique names for their babies that reflect their own values, a trend relevant for business and politics. Insightful Analysis On What’s Behind A Name In March, The Economist reported on their proprietary study of 400,000 parents born in America and Britain over the past 143 years. Using artificial intelligence, it...
read moreHow Trump Has Destroyed Trust in Brand America
It is difficult to fully comprehend the chaos that Trump has created in the past two weeks, especially the long-term implications for the U.S. and the world economy. What is at stake is trust in the U.S. brand as the most respected, safe repository for international trade and investments, plus the world’s most reliable steward of peace and prosperity. Views from “The Economist” This respected business conservative magazine described their reaction in a recent issue to Trump’s new trade policies, under the headline “Donald Trump‘s Mindless...
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