A man with iconic hair, a tag line, a trucker hat and a twitter account has ascended to the most powerful position in the world.
What does that tell us about branding?
THE HAIR MATTERS
At the risk of sounding ridiculous, I think the hair mattered. It is a memorable visual icon that cut through the clutter (even though it was used in mostly mocking ways). On the flip side, Mrs. Clinton had not much about her that stood out. Well, other than her decades of experience at all levels of public service. But that’s hard to turn into an iconic symbol.
Asked why he hadn’t made the same graphic contribution to the world as he did with the iconic OBAMA poster, Shepard Fairey said:
HIT THE HEART
In 2008, an idealistic Senator from Chicago invited us to believe, and we responded with a resounding YES WE CAN. As a campaign slogan, it was inclusive, optimistic and — most importantly — exceedingly simple, a product of genuine hope rather than market research and focus groups.
In retrospect, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN was pretty close to genius (some would say evil genius). Both nostalgic and forward looking, it did what great tag lines do: encapsulate complex and often convoluted strategy into a simple and singular conversation platform. Talk about elevator pitch!
Anybody remember what Hillary’s was? Exactly.
STRONGER TOGETHER is packed with substance, but lacks heart. It’s a position, not a purpose. And while the intention is noble, the execution is intellectual and, ultimately, less impactful.
FORGOTTEN, NOT FORGIVEN
The optimist in me hopes that the venom Mr. Trump has spewed into the world during this campaign will not be forgiven. But if people make an emotional connection with a brand and a person, they are more likely to forget past or current transgressions.
Strong brands survive occasional weaknesses. Would Apple have suffered as much as Samsung if their phones started spontaneously combusting? It’s doubtful. They could probably chalk it up as an unfortunate side effect of constant innovation.
STAND FOR SOMETHING
Even though it looks like the majority of American voters did not buy what Mr. Trump was selling, the label on the box was clear. Very.
This may be the most important lesson for us, especially in the entertainment space, where the general race to reach as many eyeballs as possible has created a reluctance to plant a flag with pride: If you stand for too many things, you really don’t stand for anything. Establish a clear vision, make great stuff as a direct result of it, and tell us about it whenever possible.
IMPERFECT TRUMPS POLISHED
My inner Swissness wants perfect kerning, solid systems and clear communication. But flaws are humanizing. That applies equally to people as it does to brands. Rules exist to be bent, grids are more interesting when broken and, well, I still like some good kerning (most of the time). But you get the point.
Authenticity is so overused these days, I don’t even know what it really means anymore. At this moment, I could maybe sum it up as truth of intention (not to be confused with truthfulness!). And it’s powerful, even (maybe especially?) when it’s not perfect.
Let’s just say certain things I thought about branding have, well, evolved. And they continue to, every day. What I am certain of is that brands are more important than ever. In the age of the attention economy, the age of chat, snap and tweet, brands are the quickest way to make an emotional connection with an audience. But only if they stand for something we care about. Otherwise, they’re forgotten with the flick of a finger. Or, more chillingly, the cast of a ballot.