Playbook
Measuring Your Finding and
“Vision Thing”
Political branding:
How to manage it and help your candidates win
By Michael Lieberman and Michael Barnhart
C
date…
Political Brand = The Effective Communication of a Vision
As Vice President George H.W. Bush prepared his 1988 presidential run, he bristled at suggestions
46 Politics | Canadian Edition
ampaigns begin with a candidate. And in the be- ginning, each candidate, regardless of party, regard- less of the office sought, must first consider some very basic questions: Who am I politically? What do I want to achieve? Why am I uniquely qualified? The candidate’s public profile or, if you will, political brand, starts with the answers to these questions. Perhaps less personally profound for the can- didate but operationally no less important to the campaign manager is the question: How does the political brand translate into key messages, stump speeches, a killer brochure, effective media, web- based mobilizations and all the other elements of a winning campaign? What follows is a straightforward, researched- based approach to identifying and refining politi- cal brand, managing the brand, shaping campaign strategies and tactics and creating compelling messages that touch the hearts and minds of vot- ers and motivate them to vote. But again, campaigns begin with the candi-
that he lacked “the vision thing.” Although Bush never found his vision thing, he successfully ex- ploited Ronald Reagan’s vision of small govern- ment and low taxes. The “Read my lips, no new taxes” message helped Bush ride Reagan’s vision- ary coattails into the Oval Office. Let’s face it; most of us are not visionaries. Even those with vision are often beaten down by prac- tical political considerations and the lack of re- sources, power or influence to realize their vision. Thus, we look to political, social or business lead- ers with vision and who can define an actionable set of principles and goals around which to rally. ‘Vision’ gives hope, focus and meaning to our
lives. It allows us a feeling that there is “something more” to life. In politics, a well-communicated vision wins. It excites partisans and nonpartisans alike and may drive voter turnout. Clearly, Presi- dent Obama and President Reagan are great ex- amples of vision well communicated. Vision is, in essence, an identity. When we think about brand identity, what usu- ally comes to mind is a name, logo, or perhaps its advertising jingle (It’s the Real Thing). Identity, however, is a far more complex myriad of asso- ciation that might include package design, brand voice, attitudes, brand personality, product utility, visual style, etc.
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