Obama for Change or Change for the Brand?
image via wikipedia commons
Early in the presidential campaign we had an opportunity to see and hear many different candidates, who left an impression of their “personal” brand. Now only one has the responsibility to bring the brand to life. Obama’s brand represented “change we can believe in.” It appears to have resonated with voters since he became our 44th president, but now, how will he deliver on his brand promise?
Your opinion of the Obama “brand” may differ based on your political views, but one thing is certain: to a large share of the voting public, he came across as different from his competitors, relevant, and credible.
Obama’s positioning worked to his advantage during the campaign, but what happens now? Does he retain his brand position, or is “change we can believe in” good for getting votes but not sustainable over time? After all, change is inevitable, whether it be what was promised to so many voters or slightly askew. In executing the new administration’s policies it will become clearer whether or not his brand’s interpretation of “we” will differ from that of the American people. This difference may however, not affect the brand.
A colleague of mine had some thoughts as well when she shared… “an interesting take on the Obama brand is its ability to say something meaningful, and yet say nothing specific at the same time. Perhaps this is an important lesson to review as we consider our own branding challenges. A successful branding solution speaks to the widest audience possible, without diluting the power of the brand, while producing no negative connotations.”
I think it’s safe to say that many Americans would agree that any change at this point in time with a (hopefully…) non-biased altruistic motive is better than none. However, could this broad motto possibly dilute the current Obama brand over time? Or strengthen it because of its vast connotations and the ability for the “consumer” (the American people) to determine what “change” really means?
We’d love to hear your comments, or questions. Join the conversation!
Loading ...
Very interesting post in light of the recent developments regarding his selection of people for high-level positions in his administration. His brand is also a reflection of the people with whom he surrounds himself. If they can’t pass the “ethics test” what does that say about his brand?