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...
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 is validated by personal loyalty and electoral...
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, former Governor Andrew Cuomo. These occurrences...
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 against Trump’s performance and brand values should...
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 more than three decades, with just 33% holding a...
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 long-term success for many consumer brands. However,...
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