Category: politics

Brand Obama takes the helm

Is there any bigger brand in the world today than the soon-to-be-inaugurated president of the United States, Barack Obama?

“Barack Obama is three things you want in a brand: New, different, and attractive. That’s as good as it gets.”

So says a guy who knows a bit about branding, Keith Reinhard, chairman emeritus of DDB Worldwide, in an April 2008 Fast Company article about the Obama brand.

But that’s the old-school take on branding. The Obama phenomenon is more than new, different and attractive. As the author of that article, Ellen McGirt, explains:

The fact that Obama has taken what we thought we knew about politics and turned it into a different game for a different generation is no longer news. What has hardly been examined is the degree to which his success indicates a seismic shift on the business horizon as well. Politics, after all, is about marketing — about projecting and selling an image, stoking aspirations, moving people to identify, evangelize, and consume. The promotion of the brand called Obama is a case study of where the American marketplace — and, potentially, the global one — is moving. His openness to the way consumers today communicate with one another, his recognition of their desire for authentic “products,” and his understanding of the need for a new global image — all are valuable signals for marketers everywhere. …

Obama has risen above what he calls a “funny” name, an unusual life story, and — contrary to the now popular (and mistaken) notion that nobody sees race anymore — a persistent racial divide to become a reflection of what America will be: a postboomer society. He has moved beyond traditional identity politics. And whether it’s now or a decade from now, the new reality he reflects will eventually win out. Any forward-thinking business would be wise to examine the implications of his ascent, from marketing strategies and leadership styles to the future of the American workplace.

How will Brand Obama fare in the global marketplace over the next four years? Today is the official rollout. Tomorrow, the product testing begins in earnest.

The next bailout: colleges and universities

That’s the headline on a Dec. 16 news release that caught my eye on the University Business website.

Like the auto industry, American colleges and universities are headed for a long overdue shakeup, according to recent reports from independent research organizations. Yearly tuition and fee increases that squeeze middle income families, coupled with an isolated ivory tower view taken by most college and university presidents, has accelerated the need for change in our higher education structure, asserted University Consultants LLC’s Joseph Schmoke in a discussion with education industry investors. And, he says, the change is coming whether those presidents like it or not.

Universities are already approaching the federal government with pleas for help. As the Chronicle for Higher Education already reported (Dec. 15), the American Council on Education and some other higher ed associations are asking for “a $700 increase in the maximum Pell Grant, which is now $4,731, and a doubling of funds for the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant program, which augments Pell Grants for low-income students.” They submitted their request in the form of a letter to Congress that also seeks funding to support “shovel ready” projects — those that are capable to starting within 180 days.

Back here in Missouri, last Friday (Dec. 12) Gary Forsee, president of the four-campus University of Missouri System, wrote to President-elect Obama and Missouri’s two U.S. senators asking them to support for some 70 projects (price tag: $737 million) at the four UM campuses. These projects could begin in as early as 90 days, Forsee said (story).

In 2009, will we see U.S. college and university presidents appearing before Congress, a la the leaders of the troubled U.S. auto industry? Stay tuned.