Watching the election debates over the past few weeks and the growing fan base for Nick Clegg and the criticism of Gordon Brown’s presentation style, it struck me how important image is to us as a nation.
Gordon Brown’s personality, his individual style (or not) and the way he delivers a message impacts greatly on the Labour Party’s image – its brand. Nick Clegg has managed to charm his way in to the hearts and minds of the British public and as it turns out, despite coming a very poor third in the election, he has actually managed to get himself the position of Deputy Prime Minister. A few months ago the country would have laughed hysterically at the thought of a Lib Dem being in Number 10, yet here we are thinking it might actually work – let’s give it a go.
He has done enough to make us think his heart is in the right place – he has helped change the perceptions of the Liberal Democrats both internally and externally. Equally, Gordon Brown has undone much of the excellent ‘New Labour’ PR and branding work Tony Blair can take credit for. Meanwhile David Cameron is giving the Conservatives a fresh face, in branding terms a repositioning to a younger, more dynamic party.
This is worth giving some thought when considering what elements make up your brand – much more than simply a logo, the personality behind the brand is what customers often engage with. So what personality is your brand?
