Electoral Branding 2011

Our political parties have never been known for their brand savvy - in a system where clientelism wins seats, there’s no need for big-picture thinking. Perhaps that’s why we’re in this mess…

Given that, taking a critical look at their campaign branding may be a bit like shooting fish in a barrel - but they have 50 days to give us a call and get it right!

Apologies in advance to colleagues and competitors who may have worked on this material: We see the problem as being mainly with clients who lack vision (and probably budget), rather than agencies who lack expertise.

Part 1 - Fine Gael

We’re starting with Fine Gael, as they were first out of the traps with their ill-fated web campaign. (For the benefit of our international readers, FG brought in Blue State Digital - the US agency behind Obama for America - to revamp their website.) They stripped it back to show a video message from Enda Kenny, and a register / comment facility to stream (moderated) comments from site visitors.

In principle, a great idea: Cut out the waffle, get the audience engaged, and have the leader directly address the audience. However, the execution fell short for a number of reasons.

- Charisma Gap or Enda is no Obama: Like many long-stay patients of Leinster House, Enda Kenny has lost the ability to communicate in a natural manner when he’s “on the record”. While his constituents can undoubtedly cite great examples of one-to-one encounters that prove his warmth, this has yet to translate convincingly on a national scale. Conveying empathy and trust to a mass-audience is either an innate talent, or a very underrated skill; at the moment, Enda has neither.

- The WWW trap: Fine Gael are to be commended for making their first brave efforts online - but they fell victim to almost every possible pitfall. They got chided for using a US firm instead of seeking local expertise; they got hacked by Anonymous, and the video was repeatedly lampooned online and in the media. However, they’re pressing on, and with today’s update, seem to have heard some of the criticism of the distracting production values of the first video.

- The WTF? poster: More worrying is the “Ireland 2.0” element of the campaign communications. This odd image is tucked in the top corner of the site, and is touted for download: You can proudly display it in your home, as your social networking avatar, or on your phone - once it’s a Blackberry.

Where to start? Presumably it’s a half-hearted attempt at the Shepard Fairey Hope poster, let down by poor execution. The visual style falls between corporate and genuinely youthful, feels contrived and badly lacks credibility. The line - “Ireland 2.0” - is an interesting idea given the web-based delivery, yet it also feels unconvincing, and even embarrassing.

As with the video, the poster became a web meme for the wrong reasons - with this  alternative slogan generator proving particularly popular.

More importantly - and this applies across all the communications so far - none of the Fine Gael communications so far convey a tangible, distinctive and simple brand message. Talking about “Team Ireland” and “Ireland 2.0” hint at themes of inclusion and new beginnings; but given the unique opportunity to offer a genuinely transcendent, transformational change in Irish politics, the messaging falls flat.

What Should They Do?

While Obama’s 2008 branding is not a panacea for all ills, there is a huge amount any Irish party can learn from that campaign.

First, Obama had a superb visual brand; crafted, consistent and intelligently articulated - yet freely available for local activists to use.

Secondly, the campaign was built from the ground-up on engagement and involvement. This provided the ideal environment to create a passionate and evangelistic connection between a receptive audience and charismatic candidate.

Finally, there was a powerfully simple pair of brand messages that underpinned all communications: Hope and Change. While subsequent attempts to copy this approach (even by cynical consumer brands) has horribly devalued these particular words, the model of simplicity, clarity and consistency is one that can still be followed.

All parties could do well to start their campaign by getting a copy of Designing Obama: This lush and detailed history of the Obama brand is both an inspiring tale of transitional politics, and a case history in the power of branding.

What do you Fine Gael’s brand positioning should be?