Branding and Public Relations in the Political ArenaAshley Rahill
Branding and public relations both play a significant role in today's political process. In a country where politics regularly make the nightly news, we have come to expect catchy slogans and polished speeches from our politicians. Public relations in politics refers to a wide range of activities, including staging debates, holding seminars for government leaders and influencing legislation. Political candidates as well as already existing government officials at the federal, state and local levels engage in public relations practices. Politicians have long recognized the need to communicate in ways that people can understand and identify.
Is this a recent development? Certainly not.
Contrary to popular belief, public relations in politics did not appear out of thin air in the last ten years. Great leaders as far back as Julius Caesar have used branding and public relations tactics to distinguish themselves from the competition and gain support for their ideas. Caesar's approach to keeping the Romans content is much like the approach used in government today. Caesar was no stranger to the PR stunt, which became a regular aspect of the public relations industry in the twentieth century. Caesar used techniques to improve his reputation while still managing to remain separated from the worsening conditions in Rome.
Let's face it. Politicians have never been strangers to the latest trends in marketing and public relations. I would even venture to say that they have become good marketers. They market themselves much the same as Apple markets its newest MP3 player or latest phone model. When we watch a presidential debate or State of the Union address, we expect a full-blown performance from our government officials and candidates and are disappointed when they fail to deliver.
Take some taglines from the 2008 presidential campaign as examples. Barack Obama's "Change we can believe in" is pure political genius. Obama has risen from the dust and is now in the lead for the Democratic Party nomination. John McCain's lead over the other Republican candidates has been significant, and his spot in the general election has become a certainty. His slogan, "Ready to lead on day one," has been inspirational to millions of Republicans.
So, why do politicians consistently choose branding and public relations tactics to get elected and increase approval ratings? The answer is simple: it works. Branding has become a necessary aspect of politics and is an approach that helps capture support. It is especially effective among young adults.
Branding has everything to do with increasing awareness and providing positive association, and in any successful political campaign, these qualities are imperative to get votes flowing and support increasing. Whether or not the politician performs well after the election is an entirely different branding question altogether.
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