The Do’s and Dont’s of Branding
Whenever I get asked about branding a candidate, I think of the old riddle: What comes first, the chicken or the egg?
For campaigns, the question becomes: what comes first, the branding or the marketing? For me, the answer is clear. There’s no effective marketing without a defined brand. But in politics, that distinction isn’t always clear.
In fact, one trend I’ve witnessed in the political space is once the campaign team creates a logo, said team considers the logo the candidate’s “brand,” and now has the inspiration to design a website and marketing materials that encompass the “brand.”
Big mistake. A logo is not the candidate’s brand. Read more at Campaigns & Elections.
The New Political Landscape: Brand Identity and Authenticity
I think we can all agree that last year’s primary election was anything but typical. At times, it was hardcore, rough and contentious. It was also the first time in recent history where it wasn’t necessarily about party affiliation anymore — it was about the candidates, themselves.
On the Republican primary side, we watched the equivalent of Survivor in business attire, with 17 candidates in a constant battle for sound bites and attention. Some fought to win, while others, it seemed, fought just to survive.
Out of this sea of seemingly endless candidates, the majority didn’t have strong brand identity, but two did. One was based on traditional conservative values and strong faith. The other played on his existing, corporate brand of brash, “tell it like it is” characteristics. Read more on Medium
Why Candidates Should Understand Branding
Most candidates don’t think of themselves as a brand. But in order to be a successful candidate today, when campaigns are competing for attention with sophisticated brand advertisers, they should start.
Now, most early-career candidates understand they need to market themselves to voters. But marketing and branding aren’t the same thing. Marketing is the process that supports bringing a brand to market.
Branding, meanwhile, involves developing things like a candidate’s public image, personality, awareness, perception, values and messaging. The brand must resonate in every aspect of an overall campaign. In fact, crafting a brand is a bit more complicated than just putting up a logo, or communicating policy issues. Read more at Campaigns & Elections
