5 Reasons Why the Republican ?Brand? Failed

By losing the White House and significant Congressional seats, the Republican Party ?Brand? is at its weakest since at least 1964. Tim Halloran, President of Atlanta based Brand Illumination, a branding strategy firm that works with branding products and people gives his thoughts on why the Republican Party Brand has failed.

5 REASONS THE REPUBLICAN BRAND FAILED

Failure to stand for something ? Great brands stand for one idea. Everything they communicate reinforces that idea. For example, Disney = Magic and McDonalds = Kids. While the Democratic Brand in 2008 stood for ?change?, the Republican Brand was all over the map. The war on terror, cutting taxes, Obama?s associations, Obama?s inexperience, stopping special interests, cutting pork barrel spending ? there was a new message every week. When brands don?t stand for one thing, their message is diluted and they end up standing for nothing.

Failure to make a sacrifice ? Great brands make sacrifices. By implying what they are not, they tell you what they are. For example, Volvo means safe cars. Volvo does not mean fast cars, sporty cars, or economical cars. Likewise, the Republican brand used to stand for fiscal responsibility and a strong defense. But the brand now fluctuates between appealing to the ?Rush Limbaugh? base and party moderates. When brands try to be all things to all people, they end up appealing to no one.

Failure to Be ?First? - Great brands find a way to be first at something. Once a brand successfully owns something, it is hard to take it away. Starbucks was the first brand that stood for a ?Coffee experience?. It owns it. Lately, the Republicans haven?t been first. Barack Obama and the Democrats quickly put a stake in the ground around the change mantra. Months after Obama and the Democrats claimed this as part of their brand, John McCain and the Republicans tried to adopt the same brand ?essence?. It was way too late ? the Democratic brand owned ?change?. As a result, McCain and the Republicans found themselves with a message that had been usurped by their competitor.

Promoting Attributes Over Benefits ? Great brands take an attribute, or a product quality, and turn it into a meaningful benefit for the consumer. Gatorade doesn?t market its salty formulation ? it markets its ability to replenish what you sweat out. The Republicans marketed an attribute, cutting taxes, but did not effectively communicate to voters what the benefits would be of doing that. If you don?t tell consumers why something will be beneficial to them, you will lose them.

No Reasons to Believe ? Great brands support what they say. You can believe them. With Fed Ex, you don?t have to worry about your shipment, because Fed Ex guarantees that it ?absolutely, positively? be there overnight. The Republicans message on the economy, the war, and cutting spending fell flat because of the perception by voters of the past 8 years. With a President that only 27% of Americans approve of and a strong competitor that positioned the Republicans as ?more of the same?, the Republican message was simply not believable.

Tim Halloran is President of Brand Illumination, a branding strategy firm that works with products and people. Tim?s work has appeared on major TV news and radio shows around the world as well as the USAToday, Business Week, and The Wall Street Journal. His unique perspective emerges from over 16 years of strategic consumer marketing, branding, and new product development experience at such international firms as the Coca-Cola Company. Tim provides brand ?illumination? for numerous leading traditional and non traditional brands including consumer products, professional athletes, non profit organizations, and individuals.

A consultant, speaker, and educator, Tim is available for interviews and speaking engagements.

Interviews may be arranged via E-mail: tim@brandillumination.com or phone at 404-218-4117

Check out Tim at http://www.brandillumination.com