You might be surprised to read the word politics on this blog, I;m not even going to pretend it's my area of interest, but don't worry I haven't completely lost it amidst the dissertation drag. This post is a bit of a cop out because maybe it wouldn't be my content of choice but one of WCRS' Big Break application questions is 'What can political parties learn from brands you
admire ahead of the 2015 General Election?' So I thought I'd share my suggestions with you...
As May approaches the likes of David
Cameron need to show they stand for something authentic. Their ideas should
make an immediate impact and be so compelling that they must be shared. The House of Peroni may seem too fashion-forward
for Politicians but they should follow the lead of a brand that demonstrates
testament to their heritage, simultaneously drawing upon their founding
principles whilst evolving to ensure they remain contemporary. Peroni’s
commitment towards Italian culture has promoted a lifestyle, creating a sense
of community for ‘people like me’. However, they should be wary that even the
combination of big players and purpose-driven marketing cannot dictate culture
and instead they should aspire to position themselves in a space where culture
surrounding their manifestos can flourish (that’s a note to McDonald’s and
Coke…).
Parties need to play by O2’s rules and ‘Be More Dog’ by showing a
willingness to take a risk; permitting leeway for serendipitous discovery. In
today’s society surprise is underrated so by presenting their key issues as
relevant there is potential to generate ‘sticky’ ideas people want to spend
time with, KitKat’s ‘#Bendgate’ tweet highlights the power of marketing the
moment. Nevertheless, similarly to brands, parties must demonstrate a genuine
belief in the issues that matter to their audience, let’s keep this real and
look to American Express’ ‘Small Business Saturday’; a brand that have
successfully generated affinity amongst the retail community and wider society,
exemplifying the capacity to become integrated into everyday life.
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| Political Parties need to 'catch life by the frisbee' |
Image from O2 'Be More Dog' campaign
