Threats To Our Democracy? A Branding Perspective
It seems ironic that in our polarized society today, there is a clear consensus agreeing on the importance of maintaining our democratic system, yet the approaches are very different. Our government leaders promise to uphold the constitution, but new issues have emerged that have created concerns on all sides on whether the tactics offered represent a threat or a boost to democracy. Democracy is about freedom of choice for all citizens, defined and protected by the constitution. Lincoln famously said “Democracy is a government of the...
read moreHow Victoria’s Secret Re-Defined “Sexy” to Re-Brand
The recent re-branding of Victoria’s Secret demonstrates a classic marketing challenge for adapting to changing tastes and desires of primary target customers. Recognizing how your audience has evolved is half the battle. A bigger question is how to update a brand to retain your core customers, yet also appeal to the emerging values of other potential customers. Understanding the origin of the Victoria’s Secret brand concept can help. In 1977 Roy Raymond started Victoria’s Secret with his first store near San Francisco. ...
read moreMisinformation: Why So Many Won’t Accept The Truth
Our society has become so emotionally charged with mistrust and negativity, sowing doubts about our core democratic institutions (e.g. voting), fair treatment of minorities and even honest relationships among neighbors and friends. A primary driver for this hyper-polarization is the rampant spread of misinformation, which also endangers the heart of good branding. The most mind-boggling question is WHY so many consistently refuse to believe the truth, even when clear facts and convincing evidence are presented to them. FDR once said:...
read moreHow Hollywood And The Oscars Lost Their Branded Magic
A key driver for making America a cultural powerhouse over the years has been the popular movies from Hollywood. Fans all over the world would flock to their local theatres to see the latest from Hollywood, especially the Oscar nominees. It was a unique “dream factory” that spawned new heroes to cheer, rich content for TV and cable, related paraphernalia, and an endless fountain of gossip for the media. Captivating, widely popular, memorable ENTERTAINMENT is what the Hollywood brand has promised to the masses, and delivered, at least until...
read moreHow Hollywood And The Oscars Lost Their Branded Magic
A key driver for making America a cultural powerhouse over the years has been the popular movies from Hollywood. Fans all over the world would flock to their local theatres to see the latest from Hollywood, especially the Oscar nominees. It was a unique “dream factory” that spawned new heroes to cheer, rich content for TV and cable, related paraphernalia, and an endless fountain of gossip for the media. Captivating, widely popular, memorable ENTERTAINMENT is what the Hollywood brand has promised to the masses, and delivered, at least until...
read moreA 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 moreLessons In Re-Branding: Trump To Biden
A brand should be strategic and rarely change dramatically. But new customers often emerge with different values and demands, competition may bring pressure on a brand, and/or new leaders invariably want to re-position their message and brand image. We are now seeing a stark re-branding of the Trump Presidency by Biden, which offers a classic lesson on what is essential to create a new and different brand identity. (Note: this is not about right or wrong, but about different approaches.) In any new product or re-branding initiative, the...
read more“Words Matter” – How Republicans Leverage Emotion-Driven Words
While the Democrats can rejoice that Biden won the presidency, they experienced surprising and disheartening setbacks in the House (lost 10 Seats), plus many “down ballot” elections in various states. A major reason for this surprising outcome was the masterful use of highly emotional words and accusations by the Republicans which created fear and anxiety among Trump’s base (e.g. primarily non-educated, rural whites) and importantly many swing voters. The voters’ intense emotional reaction contributed to these Republican gains, which also...
read moreWill The 1/6 Insurrection Force Changes In Citizen United PAC Donations?
The January 6 riot at the Capital building may have become the tipping point for business and their involvement in politics. Many CEOs have been very critical about Government’s response during the past 4 years to such societal issues like BLM, climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic, but their public reactions have been limited. Their attitude was to not take any action unless their corporate business model or values were directly affected. However the refusal by Republican leaders to accept the Presidential election results and the...
read moreHow Trust In Brands Is Undermined By Disinformation And Conspiracy Theories
As Covid-19 spreads mercilessly, taking lives, destroying the economy and further polarizing our society, there is another concurrent and dangerous “epidemic” expanding furiously – the unbounding spread of misinformation, especially those incredible conspiracy theories. Despite ongoing efforts to refute these falsehoods, believers remain beholden to these erroneous claims. The biggest risk of this phenomenon is the serious decline of trust of our most cherished brand values throughout our society. Very simply, a brand is a promise of value...
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