Sept. 12, 2019 –
The 2020 race for president is over. Why? All you have to look at the candidates’ logos.
What constitutes a strong logo in politics? Marketing in politics is no different from branding in business.
A powerful political logo has several vital and memorable characteristics.
A powerful logo has strong typography – contrasting bold fonts with distinctive colors that reinforce feelings of patriotism – and a three-to-five word slogan with a strong value proposition.
A value proposition must have a salient WIIFI statement; in other words it answers the psychological question in the subconscious minds of voters: “What’s in it for me?”
Memorable characteristic
Note: It’s the branding slogan that makes the logo memorable.
All of which prompted me to read a Mark Wilson article, “The logos of all 11 Democratic presidential candidates, ranked,” in FASTCOMPANY.
Mr. Wilson interviewed the cofounders of the The Center for American Politics and Design, who analyzed the branding of 11 Democrats.
Their top three logo picks:
- Cory Booker
- Bernie Sanders
- Kamala Harris
True, the three are successful with strong typography with contrasting bold fonts.
Dubious conclusion
Author Wilson concluded:
“But given that everyone here appreciates the power of design, I think we can agree: Cory Booker just became President of the United States of America.”
Huh? With all due respect, his conclusion is laughable.
Whether it’s Messrs. Booker, Sanders or Ms. Harris, the logos are ineffective in messaging. True, they address the WIIFI issue because they’re all giving away free stuff.
But their weak strategies fall way short of the mark. Simply put, they fail to invoke feelings of patriotism nor do they have a strong value proposition.
Projected 2020 winner
Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or Libertarian, marketing principles are important.
In the 2016 presidential campaign nearly 10 months before the November election, I predicted the winner, Donald Trump, in this article: Despite Cruz’s Despicable Tactics – Why Trump Will Win the White House.
My reasoning:
“His capacity for hard work, knowledge of economic principles from his business success and failures, and his marketing acumen are superior to anyone else.”
So, given his success on the economy and that his logo has the critical prerequisite characteristics, here’s my projected 2020 winner:
From the Coach’s Corner, more marketing tips:
Critical Essentials to Develop the Best Marketing Formula — There are critical essentials for marketing, which includes the right channels and developing the right message. That includes the right branding slogan and logo and appealing to the five value perceptions of customers.
Marketing Checklist – Tips for Growth and Winning — Here are fundamentals in marketing, plus links to additional relevant information.
Marketing/Sales: How to Win Like a Big-League Player — Here are some marketing truisms including an informative, comprehensive infographic courtesy of Salesforce: “The Big Leagues of Marketing: How to be Successful in Enterprise Marketing.”
How to Newsjack for Publicity of Your Content Marketing — Newsjacking – the art and science of obtaining mountains of free media coverage and social-media spin by getting your content injected into late-breaking news stories.
“The hardest thing about any political campaign is how to win without proving that you are unworthy of winning.”
-Adlai Stevenson I
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