Political Branding

With the General Election just days away, we take a look at how brand philosophy can be harnessed by the political parties in an effort to win the hearts and minds of voters, and how comparisons can be made between political and corporate branding. Increasingly we live in a mistrusting society. Traditional bastions of truth such as politicians, police, clergy and big brands are now looked upon unfavourably through cynical eyes. Take brands, for example: they broadcast messages infused with sincerity and empathy, but then on occasion undermine their own values with poor customer service and an unwillingness to accept their own mistakes. Too often, 'social responsibility' turns out to be little more than neatly painted whitewash to present a more acceptable face of profit-making. Politicians, especially during an election period, offer sound bites promising 'big societies', 'a future fair for all', 'government we can trust'... like brands, parties deliver a stream of images and packaged promises designed to give a sense of what the party truly believes. However, such messages are in constant conflict with societal signifiers that may suggest an opposite underlying point to the sanitised or idealised political one. Scandals, revelations and commentaries train us to expect spin to invariably follow pledges. In the past, politicians could easily manage perceptions through well-defined media channels. Today, thanks to the 24 hour news, web, blogs, Tweets and so on, politicians can't hide from the stage that stretches across the world wide web and reaches the inner psyche of a confused voter who is so bombarded with so many similar choices that he or she becomes not just bewildered but resentful. Through instantly scrutinising every painfully extreme detail of a political message we get so close to subtle nuances that we can no longer judge the bigger picture. We naturally conclude that every confusing fuzzy detail must simply be further proof that it is, in the end, all spin and no substance. So what can politicians do to garner our trust? Political brands must be consistent in what they preach. Not all policies will please all voters. This is actually good: it creates integrity and clear water between one political brand and another. Just as with brands, political values need to be understood and practiced not just by leaders, but by everyone allied with the party. In so doing, manifestos become social causes — and sincere causes are always better than promises. Just as with business leaders, political leaders need to be seen and appreciated within the context of being responsible champions addressing confident communities, rather than lapdog chameleons addressing transient drifters. Such leaders need to be themselves, complete with humility, human faults and quirks — not just managed alter egos. By being genuine, and leading not exclusively from the front or back — but from the centre of the pack — they can set an example by accepting mistakes and giving credit where it is due. In branding, consumers must be able to recognise themselves in a product and so feel aligned with a brand. In political branding, parties need to reflect what a nation is and what every individual can become. Source: Jonathan Gabay's Brand Communications Blog

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