Branding is the unique space your product or service owns in the minds and hearts of your customers. It’s the foundation for everything you will do in marketing. So, yes, do it right the first time. That is take the time to create the right identity. While you’re doing that, here is what you might learn from one of the strongest current political brands. That’s Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey.
The latest Quinnipiac poll found that 54 percent of voters in his state approve of his performance. That means that he has been able to gain and keep the majority on his side. Yet, at the same time he has been able to develop a brand identity that sets him apart from all the other political leaders on the radar screen.
In terms of your own branding, here are the takeaway lessons:
- Your brand can’t be all things to all people. It simply has to align with the constituencies or demographics which count. If Christie tried to appeal to everyone, his identity would be too diluted to stand out.
- Your brand must be out there. Christie is constantly engaged in some public function and seems to make it his business to promote those.
- Your brand becomes stronger by managing criticism and controversy. Each public relations battle Christie manages, his brand becomes more embedded in the global consciousness.
Please contact Kate Sirignano, 203-404-4868, kate@imagemarketingconsultants.com for a complimentary review of your branding.