Branded Conservatives

1. Branded Conservatives Ken Cosgrove

2. Party Brands • Product Approach: Party ? Policy No clear connection between what a party does or thinks in terms of policy and what the public needs or wants Public (Market)

3. Party Brands • Sales Approach: Party Policy: One Way The Party attempts to “sell” or convince the public that it should want (and thus support) a party’s policies, without consulting the public. Public

4. Party Brands • Market Approach: Party Policy: Two Way A party has the potential to provide the public what it needs, because it has consulted the public about what it wants. Public Implications: Market Approach empowers a party to respond to the public at the level of wants rather than needs.

5. Party Brands • Market Approach: Party Targeting Public Framing Segments

6. Party Brands • Market Approach: Party Political Branding Developing an idea, message, image, party narrative based on keen understanding of what certain market segments wants, and then building loyalty with that segment Policy and Promises Public Framing What do people think, value, desire? Concerns, Values, Aspirations, Needs Segments

7. Party Brands • Market Approach: Party Policy and Promises Public Positioning If policy/brand fails it can be repositioned, or modified to reconnect or reaffirm concerns of the targeted segments. Positioning Segments

8. Party Brands • Market Approach: Republican Party: Health Care Republican Party Political Branding Developing an idea, message, image, party narrative based on keen understanding of what certain market segments wants, and then building loyalty with that segment Health Care: Repeal Public Small Govt, Lower Taxes, Personal Choice Differentiation: Not the DemoCRAT…Party; does not response to DemoCRAT voters (in the first instance)

9. Party Brands • Market Approach: Republican Party Brand: Public View Republican Party Small Govt, Lower Taxes, Personal Choice Party Branding How the public views or experiences the party. Health Care: Repeal Public Small Govt, Lower Taxes, Personal Choice Segments

10. Party Brands • Market Approach: Republican Party Brand: Party View Republican Party Small Govt, Lower Taxes, Personal Choice Party Branding The party brand story becomes the means through the party communicates, interactions and responses to its targeted segments. Public Small Govt, Lower Taxes, Personal Choice Segments

11. Party Brands • Market Approach: Republican Party Brand Republican Party Small Govt, Lower Taxes, Personal Choice Institutionalization? A party brand story or narrative only works if in fact the party has a story, that is, it has agreed/decided as an institution to cohere around a particular political story. Public Small Govt, Lower Taxes, Personal Choice Segments

12. Party Brands • Market Approach: Republican Party Brand Republican Party Small Govt, Lower Taxes, Family Values, St Def Republican Institutionalization: The Republican Party has a brand story or narrative: Small Government Lower Taxes Family Values Strong Defense Date? Public Small Govt, Lower Taxes, Personal Choice Segments

13. Party Brands • Market Approach: Obama Brand 2008 Obama Change, Hope, Audacity, Post-Part/ lnclusion Obama Brand: Obama had a brand story or narrative in 2008: Hope Change you Can believe in Public Responsible govt, community values… Segments

14. Party Brands • Market Approach: Democratic Party? Democratic Party ?????????????? Dem. Party Brand: The Democratic Party has talked about developing a brand: Ethical Politics (Rep Culture of Corruption) Public Responsible govt, community values… Segments

15. Party Brands • Market Approach: Democratic Party = Obama Brand: 2010 Elections Democratic Party Rec Act, 95% Tax Cut, Obama, Middle-Cl Relief Dem. Party Brand: The Democratic Party did try to adopt the Obama brand in 2010 (Economic Policy) Recovery Act 95% Tax Cuts Obama Middle-Class Tax Relief Public Responsible govt, community values… Segments

16. Party Brands • Market Approach: Democratic Party = Obama Brand? Democratic Party Institutionalization? For the brand concept to work, it has be embraced (institutionalized) by the party. Question: Did the Dem. Party institutionalize the Obama brand? Rec Act, 95% Tax Cut, Obama, Middle-Cl Relief Public Responsible govt, community values… Segments

17. Party Brands • Market Approach: Democratic Party = Obama Brand: US Senate 2010 Democratic Party Rec Act, 95% Tax Cut, Obama, Middle-Cl Relief Institutionalization? Leadership (White House, DCCC, DSCC): Yes. Public Responsible govt, community values… Segments

18. Party Brands • Market Approach: Democratic Party = Obama Brand: US Senate 2010 Democratic Party Institutionalization? The 19 Democratic candidates running to retain party seats in the US Senate: NO! Rec Act, 95% Tax Cut, Obama, Middle-Cl Relief Public Responsible govt, community values… Segments

19. Party Brands • Market Approach: Republican Party Brand: US Senate 2010 Republican Party Small Govt, Lower Taxes, Family Values, St Def Republican Institutionalization: The Republican leadership (RNC, NRSC, NRCC) and 18 candidates running to retain party seats in US Senate: YES Public Small Govt, Lower Taxes, Personal Choice Segments

20. Figure 1. Candidate Messaging by Issue: US Senate Election, 2010 94% 88% 76% 52% Percent 47% 22% 16%

21. Branded Conservatives • Post 1964 Rep Party: Unexpected Recovery and Strength • Key to Republican Success: Use of a Brand Strategy. • Use-value of a brand: • Cuts through clutter of a crowded marketplace

22. Branded Conservatives • Conservative brand: Built a brand that is: • 1. Consistent in terms of content • 2. Brand tells a story: the story helps the audience whether or not it is interested in the product being sold by the brand. • 3. Brand story: gives the product an identity that can be quickly comm.

23. Branded Conservatives • Conservatives have made effective use of the brand by: • 1. Explain how their brand promises were kept • 2. If a promise was not kept, have repositioned the brand • 3. Branded their opponents • a. “have done so through use of a few core concepts into which line • extensions can be placed.” (2) • 4. Built brand over time: have established relationship with spec. audiences

24. Branded Conservatives • Conservative brand strategy: • 1. Sells candidates • 2. Branded all aspects of con movement to create lasting rel with spec. aud. (business have done the same thing). • Targeting: reaching some audience while driving others away. (Targeting in com culture has already broken society into niches. The trend began in the magazine industry… pol ex: Bush 2004 targeting of hispanics (3)) • a. Conservative brand: initially limited audience, the expanded to target audience/segments (growing conservative population) and uses a variety of channels other than mass media

25. Branded Conservatives • What a brand does: • 1. A brand tells the story • 2. A brand builds an image in people’s minds about a product or a political party. • 3. Makes promises • 4. Specifically positioned to appeal to target audiences • 5. Is supported by a variety of public relations techniques

26. Branded Conservatives • Branding Example: George W. Bush • What did George Bush stand for? • On Abortion? • On Same Sex Marriage? • On National Defense? • On Taxes? • How about Al Gore/John Kerry? • What did Al Gore/John Kerry stand for? • On Abortion? • On Same Sex Marriage? • On National Defense? • On Taxes?