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Obama, the new king of branding
Tuesday, January 20th 2009 is the dawn of a new era, the first black man will
become President of the United States. Barack Obama is not just our new President but a new type of leader,
one like we have never seen before. Not only does he understand politics, but he
also understands branding.
Obama was the consummate underdog. As a candidate, the
negatives were stacked against him. He was black, inexperienced and had a
strange name. In the Democratic primary, Obama faced Clinton, the most powerful
name in politics today. The Clinton machine had money and experience. By all
odds, they were almost assured an easy victory and Obama was almost certain to
go down in defeat.
Of course, that is not what happened. Obama beat the odds
and won not just over Hillary Clinton but over the Republicans as well. The
lesson is that brand, message and consistency matter. Even against the toughest
competitors with the most recognizable names, you too can be a winner if you
keep your focus and your cool. Obama beat Clinton the same way that Red Bull
beat Coca-Cola in energy drinks.
The only candidate with a consistent message throughout the
entire campaign was Obama. His word: Change. He hammered that one word over and
over again. In every speech, sign and commercial. While others moved this way
and that, Obama stayed steady.
Winning in politics is not always determined by what you
say, but how often you say it. Sure, change happened to be the message that
Americans were craving the most. But I would also argue that Obama stoked the
fire that ignited the public’s desire for change. People don't always know what
they want until given a choice and offered a brand that represents it. That is
why polling isn’t always helpful.
Not only will Obama become the leader of the free world
today, but he also will become the biggest celebrity pitchman in the world,
albeit one that won’t earn him a penny from endorsements.
Check out this recent Obama quote: “I'm clinging to my
BlackBerry. They're going to have to pry it out of my hands.” Reminds me of
Charlton Heston raising a flintlock over his head at an NRA meeting and
challenging his detractors to pry the rifle “from my cold, dead hands.”
We live in a celebrity-crazed world. Magazines are filled
with photos of what celebrities are wearing, driving and drinking. And many a
brand has been built just by having famous people photographed with it.
How do you get celebrities to use and love your brand? How
can you get Obama or Oprah to give you their endorsements? You can't buy them.
Neither will take money or freebees. You can only get their endorsements by
giving them a brand with a meaning that fits with their own brands.
Obama's love of his BlackBerry isn't just a lucky break for Research
In Motion. It is the inevitable result of a brand with a great name that was
first in a new category that has exploded in importance. For years, BlackBerry
has benefited from fabulous PR and word of mouth. Because of its addictive
nature, fans called it the "CrackBerry." No matter where you are in the world, BlackBerry
is the ultimate tool for keeping in touch.
As much as Obama's love of his BlackBerry is good for RIM,
Obama is using BlackBerry to make a statement about his own brand.
Obama wants to be a new kind of leader. One that stays in
touch with people and reality. A leader that is not insulated in a bubble of
top advisors and aides. By being seen using a BlackBerry, Obama sends the
message that he is not out of touch with real people. In the same vein, Obama
used YouTube, text messaging and his website with great success during the
campaign.
As the ultimate communicator and networker, Obama loving BlackBerry
makes sense. When your brand stands for something, you can attract celebrities
who want to broadcast that same message to the public. What brands we use says
a lot about us. Boxers or briefs, Coke or Pepsi, iPhone or BlackBerry,
Budweiser or Heineken. Celebrities understand this even more so than the
average consumer.
Welcome to the branding era, President Obama.