Brand 1 for President

I have a confession to make.
Politics bore me to death.
Therefore, I do not take the time to inform myself of current political issues. I am gradually realizing their importance, but at this current stage of my life...I have bigger concerns.

I attended Aaron Brown's talk at the PRSSA meeting the other day. He was discussing public relation's role in the presidential campaign. It got me thinking. I never realized how a candidate's image and public relations strategies dominate the competition. My interest led me to research what people were saying about the emphasis of public relations in the Obama:McCain campaigns.

Diana Francis, a blogger on nationalpost.com, referred to the current presidential election as a "battle between two brands." Since the majority of the public doesn't personally know either candidate and can't predict with certainty what they will do once taking office, she says the vote rides on the image of the candidate and how they are portrayed to the people. Francis explains that McCain's brand emphasizes the experience that comes with his old age. On the other side, Obama pushes a hip, youthful, tech-savvy image. Both candidates realize the impact of public relations and seek to get the most positive media coverage possible. It's more about the appeal of the brand than the issues. I should really take the time to become a truly informed voter before November. So...whose brand appeals to me more?


http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/francis/archive/2008/07/27/obama-mccain-battle-of-the-brands.aspx