Battered Liberal brand not what it once was in Ontario

How strong is the Liberal brand in Ontario?

Steven Del Duca and his provincial Liberal party members are about to learn the answer to that question. That’s because although its image is weaker than it has been in years, the Liberal brand is still potentially the biggest asset that Del Duca has going for him as the Ontario election formally gets underway.

It’s an asset the Liberal leader desperately needs to work for him and his team if they hope to win — or least finish ahead of the NDP — given that the most recent polls show the Ontario Liberals trailing Ford and the governing Progressive Conservatives, with the NDP in third place.

If it holds, that gap would be enough for Ford to secure a second straight majority victory.

Nationally, the Liberal Party of Canada brand has for years been considered one of the most powerful political brands in the world.

But what does the “brand” mean today in Ontario?

Political branding is about how a party is perceived by the public.

It’s a feeling or image that voters have of a party.

Importantly, it plays a major role in a party’s efforts to generate a feeling of identity, of being part of a “like-minded community,” for voters. It also helps voters to determine quickly what a party is all about, how it differs from other parties and whether a party’s major positions are generally in line with theirs.

Traditionally, the Liberal brand has been seen as moderate, centrist and progressive.

But in recent years the brand has been diminished. It has suffered from widespread unhappiness with the federal Liberal party under Justin Trudeau.

It also took a major hit during the 2018 Ontario election in which the party suffered its worst defeat ever.

Former leader Kathleen Wynne has said she “wrecked the Liberal party” because of her election rout.

Greg Lyle, president of the polling firm Innovative Research, says the current Ontario election is significantly different from previous provincial contests when it comes to branding.

“For the past 20 years, the Ontario Liberals typically enjoyed at least a 10 per cent lead in brand affinity. Voters felt closer to the Liberals than the PCs,” Lyle said Wednesday in a tweet about his firm’s latest poll. “This election is a virtual tie, thanks to backlash to the federal election.”

Lyle’s polling, conducted between April 27 and May 2, asked people how they think of themselves when it comes to Ontario politics. The survey indicated 29 per cent think of themselves as Liberals, 27 per cent as Conservatives, 17 per cent as independents or as supporting no party, and 13 per cent as New Democrats.

For the Liberals, that’s a sharp drop from before the 2021 federal election, when up to 40 per cent of Ontarians said they thought of themselves as Liberals.

The harsh fact is that the Liberal “brand” has suffered terribly for generations in many parts of Ontario, especially in rural areas. But in recent elections it has faded even in regions where it was once strong.

One bright spot for Del Duca, though, is that the brand still carries some weight, especially in the riding-heavy Greater Toronto Area and in pockets of eastern and northern Ontario.

Still, when your brand is suffering you won’t win many elections.

That’s why a restored Liberal brand could be Del Duca’s biggest weapon, if he is to have any chance of defeating Ford.