Political branding: a burgeoning field that has been attracting the attention of political professionals, coaches, consultants, and spin doctors all over the world.

Just like the branding of companies, products, and services, political branding similarly uses common marketing and image management tactics to attract the attention of ‘political consumers’; normally known as voters.

Thousands of studies and assessments have taught us a lot on the strengths and weaknesses of typical marketing strategies. One example of these researches is Downer’s (2015) who analyzed campaigning procedures in Australian politics. Correspondingly, the author concluded the following lessons:

• Fully engaging with the concept of branding, understanding why and how to brand, and evaluating their efforts are crucial branding factors.
• Branding is “a real power tool” whether done well or badly. Good branding means that leaders have consciously made the choice to brand, learnt the branding principles and techniques, directed all their resources toward the brand campaign, adopted a long-term strategic approach according to their ideology and environment.
• Branding requires ongoing investment of:
  • time: since “it takes time to craft a brand, it takes time to build brand equity, and it takes time to reposition or revitalize a brand”
  •  money: because market research and communication requires funding
  • expertise: because professional branding requires having certain skills in different fields like marketing and communication.
• Successful branding needs:
  • discipline: since a “brand that is not well-tended by its creators will be shaped solely by its consumers and competitors:
  • consistency: since an inconsistent brand “will confuse voters”
  • authenticity: because an inauthentic brand will alienate voters.
• Brands must be evolved when the party or politician moves from opposition or candidacy to government or into a position of power-sharing.
• “If your brand becomes tainted, cleanse.” In other words, rebrand.
• Leader brands may be short-term; party brands must be long-term.

Source

Downer, L. (2015). Political branding strategies: Campaigning and governing in Australian politics. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. Retrieved from https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9781137580283

Share with us your thoughts and don’t forget to check our Political Branding course 

Follow us on social media

Facebook: Dr. Nadine Mounzer Karam
Instagram: @dr.nadinemounzerkaram
Twitter: @dr_nadinemk
TikTok: @nadinemounzerkaram
LinkedIn: Dr. Nadine Mounzer Karam

YouTube Channel: Nadine Mounzer Karam

And Stay Tuned!  

NMK – Political Coaching and Communication