It is the season
for political campaigns and a deep reflection of the political process
portends grave danger for our future as a nation.
This is due to the
fact that our politicians are yet to become tangible brand assets.
There is nothing that clearly differentiates one politician from the
other. A brand has a personality and character. What is the character
of our political brands? The character we see is violence, vandalism,
and all sorts.
It is important for
branding to form an integral part of our political process. Branding
should be the fulcrum of political marketing. The brand concept has
analytical value and we should place our political brands on the front
burner of national critique and public dissection.
One notable feature
of our political communication is that we have over deployed the mass
media model at the expense of consumer model. There should be a
paradigm shift from mass media appeal to focus more on the needs of the
consumers.
The media is awash
with all sorts of campaign adverts without any derivable benefits for
the people. What, then, is the key message by our political brands?
There is no single message that we can hold on to because they are
bereft of strategic thinking.
Our politicians
have not realised the need to build an enduring brand over the years.
Conscious efforts have not been made to transform themselves into
tangible brand assets for the people. They do not realise that a good
brand name is a tremendous asset. Many have not taken this as very
critical to their political careers.
Ojo Maduekwe, the
former minister of foreign affairs, showered encomiums on Babatunde
Fashola at the last International Bar Conference. Governor Fashola was
described as a good symbol of governance, despite the fact they shared
different political ideologies.
To an average
Nigerian, the Fashola brand represents dynamism and vibrancy in
governance. The Fashola political brand is one that focuses on service
delivery and tangible offerings for the consumers. What we need is
iconic political brands that stand tall to offer both functional and
physical benefits to the generality of the citizens.
Several of our
politicians are always caught in the web of using quotes of famous
political brands during campaigns. The names of Martin Luther King,
Winston Churchill, etc, are always adopted but these global leaders
developed their brand personalities and decades after their death, they
still resonate with the global audience. Why have our own political
brands not risen to global prominence?
Until our political
brands transform from being pedestrian in outlook and to tangible
instruments of value and benefit, we will continue to dance round the
circuit of misrule.
Our perceptions of
our political brands are stereotyped. It has always been a negative
belief that they never deliver on promises. This is due to their
antecedents and our perception of their political activities that
border on violence and corruption.
Some of our
politicians do not even measure up to standard. Some of them do not
even possess the requisite skills and mental faculty to occupy the
exalted offices they aspire to. The issue of political debates is not
one we can wish away. The debates have once again brought to the fore
the fact that several of our politicians are mere jesters.
One can see clearly
that the thinking and thought patterns of the politicians do not align
with the expectations of the people. Without any iota of doubt, Ibrahim
Shekarau has, through the debates, positioned himself as a unique
political brand.
It has become more
expedient than before for our politicians to develop their personality
and project a more positive brand image. What we need are political
brands that have tangible offerings for the people, which will last a
lifetime. Our political brands need to be reinvigorated to meet the
yearnings and aspirations of their consumers.
The onus is now on
brand strategists to create credible brands out of our politicians. If
not, there will be a continuous disconnection between the political
brands and their audience.
