A brand name is the face of a brand, the core indicator of the promises and imagery of what a brand stands for. With effective positioning and marketing support, a successful brand name will develop a sense of trust that will encourage customers to relate to its values.
Brand names are sometimes created to communicate a positive or negative message. Trump does this often, labeling his adversaries with names that are biased and derogatory – e.g. “Pocahantas” for Elizabeth Warren, “Sleepy Joe Biden”, “Little Rocket Man” for Kim Jong Un, etc.
Rise of a New Socialism
The term socialism originated in England around 1830 and has always been viewed as an economic system characterized by government ownership of resources and centralized decision making. Americans have always been supportive of a free market system, however, as “good for the economy” (66%), vs. bad (34%) – source: CBS/YouGov poll in August 2026. However, what is perplexing is that whereas this brand of pure socialism is understandably viewed negatively by most Republicans (74%), only 18% of Democrats view socialism as negative, which suggests they have a different interpretation of socialism today.
The recent electoral primaries have reflected a rise of candidates that call themselves “socialists”. Their focus is to initiate basic changes in our political system and government priorities. Most notable are Zehran Mamdani, the new mayor of NYC and Ell-Sayed from Detroit who just won the Democratic primary for a Michigan senate seat. Their immediate constituents consist mainly of younger, white, college educated, urban voters who are especially frustrated with the problems of affordability, especially housing, health insurance, childcare, climate change, civil and voting rights, etc.
Further evidence of this drift leftward is the growth of the Democratic Socialists of America (D.S.A.). This activist organization had 45,000 members in 2018, and membership doubled over the next 4 years. Between 2013 and 2017 the median age dropped from 68 to 33. The platform of the D.S.A. tends to be extreme with far-left calls to overhaul key parts of the government, Pentagon and police, although both El-Sayed and Mamdani are not members of the D.S.A. and do not support such extreme measures.
Historically demands for a more socialist system have been caused by rising income inequality in an economy. In the U.S. this emergence of progressive thinking started in 1980 when signs of inequality began and was further intensified by the 2008 financial crash. This recent CBS/YouGov poll confirms the current discontent that is leading to a more socialistic preference:
- 60% of Americans believe the economic system is unfair for getting ahead (vs. 40% say it is fair)
- 73% believe the income gap between the richest Americans and the middle class is increasing (vs. 9% decreasing).
Socialism is Confusing Today
The concept of socialism has diverged to “social democracy” in some countries (e.g. the Nordic nations) where a capitalist system is retained, and the government plays a greater role promoting income equality and providing services in healthcare, education, transportation, etc. Confusion exists over what socialism exactly means to each party in the U.S., however. Republicans generally interpret socialism in its original, pure form, whereas most Democrats still desire capitalism but want more government support to resolve affordability and other big problems (58% of Democrats have a positive view of socialism)
Simply put, Republicans will viciously attack any socialist brand positioning because of their conviction that the state would control everything under socialism. Already Trump is calling these socialists communists, Ron DeSantis says they want to get rid of the U.S. Constitution, and many predict the end of innovation and economic growth. Fortunately for the Democrats, most of these so-called socialists are in urban centers and do not represent most candidates who are moderates or center left elsewhere.
The big challenge for Democrats is how to respond to this entrenched brand image of socialism by Republicans. Most Democrats (68%) want “big changes even if harder to do”. But these “socialist” candidates must clarify what they stand for, emphasize their capitalist roots, and discontinue labeling themselves simply as “socialists” At the end of the day, the candidates who credibly offer meaningful relief and opportunity will win voters.
