Branding and the presidency

terests, the job remains elusive in spite of the office’s allure. This is the irony of the job description.

Branding for the presidency requires delivery of the campaign promise with consistency before it becomes a brand. Very much like a product and or service, branding as a theory remains constant. Superbranding is all about consistent delivery to acquire the integrity to become a brand. And as a brand goes, we as brand custodians manage only the perceptions generated. Let us not confuse this issue with popularity.

The volatility of the office is evident with the good President who tries hard to generate the promise of integrity. Again, the office will be misconstrued by critics. Thus is the nature of the office. Can we please all the people all of the time? For a President the answer is yes, but as a human not so. One’s vision and mastery of the time element for success is subjective and never objective. Priority becomes more subjective by the day as do successes along the way.

The final measurement would be a number of factors: the gross domestic product; the happiness factor; the environment and biodiversity; construction and progress or the infrastructure and measurements of poverty. All must be measured. Is there a mid- line acceptable to all concerned? No.

Must a President be a brand? This may be the more appropriate question. Our President is limited to a single six-year term, so the answer must be “No.” The elections are over and the dictates of the job no longer require popularity or the polls. The integrity of the leader must stay intact, with the leader’s clear vision for performance and nothing else. The popularity contest is no longer applicable and shouldn’t be a priority.

Performance designs the legacy for decades to come, and may pave the way for future leaders to abide by. Successes need to be measured by the people and at different levels, depending on how the society is structured. Yes, a president needs to brand, but not by sustaining an awareness campaign. The goal is perceived integrity.