Politics - A Brand for Me?: Why established political parties could benefit from an understanding of the principles of brand management

The author, Martin Riley, has had a successful career in international marketing, rising to the level of Chief Marketing Officer of Pernod Ricard, the world's second biggest drinks group, whose brands such as Chivas Regal, Absolut vodka, Jameson Irish whiskies, are sold around the globe. He was also President of the World Federation of Advertisers.He retired from this role in December 2014 and two weeks later was selected as Conservative candidate for the Parliamentary elections of May 2015. This was unusual as he had no previous experience in politics.He positioned himself as a non career politician - somebody who wanted to use the experience gained in international business and apply it to the constituency where he had been selected to fight for the Conservatives.It was a steep learning curve and involved talking on the doorstep with voters, appearing alongside candidates from other political parties in formal hustings, taking questions from the audience and talking to the media. In addition social media was a key medium for promoting ideas. It was a hard fought campaign in an area where Labour had been the dominant party for generations, returning a Labour MP at every election since 1945.However, although he did not win the seat for the Conservatives, the experience was challenging and exhilarating. Fighting a political campaign on the front line and often in hostile territory was quite different from managing teams in a global business organisation.But the experience made the author realise that established political parties do not function like other consumer brands. They lack the disciplined approach that other successful and enduring brands have adopted to win consumer loyalty. The author identified this as a weakness in established political brands, which seem to reinterpret core values and principles whenever they appoint a new Leader.The Leader often reshapes the party brand in their own image. Tony Blair and Jeremy Corbyn - what do they have in common? Margaret Thatcher and David Cameron seem to be at different ends of the Conservative Party spectrum. Where is Theresa May on the spectrum? And is her image stronger than the Party she represents? When a voter puts a cross next to a name and a political party, do they know what they are voting for?Newer political parties are more single-minded and appear to understand the principles of brand marketing and communication better than the established parties, who appear to want to be all things to all people. But in so doing they are in danger of taking for granted an electorate who they assume understands what their guiding principles vision and values are. And what is the vision they offer?Elsewhere in the USA and France, the rise of Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron has demonstrated that electorates are tired of the established parties and the political system that has supported them.Martin Riley believes the UK Conservative Party could be in danger of failing to shape a clear brand image for itself. In so doing it risks allowing itself to be defined by the words of its opponents and the way they describe the Party in negative terms. In the long term its ability to attract and enthuse new members and voters could be jeopardised by a failure to engage hearts and minds, resulting in 'reluctant', but unenthusiastic, Conservative voters.He describes the opportunity to engage a majority of people emotionally - by clearly establishing the Conservatives as a One Nation Party, based on the principles, values and vision first promoted by Disraeli.Modern brand marketing techniques and discipline could achieve this for the brand and make it less image dependent on its Leaders and how they present themselves.