Political brand purpose has become point of discussion for Nigerians
By Ibidunni Banjoko
That Nigerians are hankering to buy political personality brands that stand for something is no longer news, as the country gears up for another general election. It also goes to show that branding has become a vital component of global politics and electioneering.
As political candidates jostle to grab a significant share of people’s minds, accomplishing top-of-awareness requires selling themselves as if they are consumer goods. To be more precise, it requires selling themselves using techniques learned from the successful marketing of consumer goods.
Given that brands and political parties are all in the business of encouraging a relationship of trust with the public, the Nigerian political parties are rather strategically failing to offer any real sense of vision, values, or mission through their branding and positioning.
For conventional brands, the combination of vision and values with a differentiating proposition and positioning makes the crucial difference in what is often a homogenous product landscape. Shouldn’t political parties be looking above all to underscore their core values?
According to experts, whatever is their political leaning, it would be reassuring for each party to take time to evolve a proper and unique Brand Positioning Statement (BPS) in the forthcoming general election. The BPS needs to be articulated through an engaging, well-managed brand identity.
Commenting on the value of political branding, Obinna Inogbo, Founder & Principal PR Executive of Worktainment Limited, urged political parties to focus on efforts to rebrand themselves in line with the expectations of citizens ahead of the next election. He gave this advice against the backdrop of a perennial trust deficit between the electorate and the politicians.
The PR professional, while recounting some of the errors in brand building initiatives of political parties in recent times, advised that political parties rather than try to sell their manifestos and persuade Nigerians to connect with their vision for the country, should build credibility by acknowledging their past failures in terms of delivering good leadership and dividend of democracy, and with a promise to do better.
Also commenting, Austine Chijoke, General Manager Idra Consulting Nigeria Limited, said: Nigerians have been doomed to buy from any of these political gladiators squaring up for the no 1 position in Aso villa.
“Interestingly, the major contenders are equally shaping the narrative by their actions, body language and inaction. Inadvertently, they are building up their brand values as well as the political parties which they respectively belong to.”
“So if Nigerians value brand quality, navigating 2023 general elections among the major contenders should be an easy thing,” he added.
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