Running head: Political Branding

Consumer Branding in Politics: A Comparison of Presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama

Sarah Sonies Candidate: MA Public Communication American University School of Communication April 28, 2011

Political Branding

Abstract The case studies included in this capstone are designed to compare and contrast two succinct brands of politicians. This paper analyzes each candidates brand and sets out to indentify validity in media comparisons of Reagan and Obama by conducting a case study of their brands during the time of their election. To properly analyze Reagan and Obamas brands, political branding is defined based on the literature on political branding. This paper uses qualitative research methods to identify, compare and contrast key elements of political branding different elections. The case studies in this paper identify the voter demographics to whom each candidates brand appealed and then analyzes the similarities and differences the role of media and celebrity each candidate used in their political branding process to appeal to the public. In the examination of the use of media in each brand, it is argued that the use of social media has changed the political branding process by giving the candidate less control over the message. Keywords: political branding, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, consumer identity

Political Branding

Introduction Consumer branding as a political narrative has always been prevalent in politics, but has evolved over time with the advent of much more advanced technology and social media. An analysis of consumer branding in political elections can provide insight into how much of a candidates political success is based on their ability to enable their audience to identify with them through a succinct commercial identity. In modern politics, an understanding of contemporary consumer behavior is pivotal to building a successful brand. A qualitative analysis of political branding as it applies to two case studies is provided in this paper. Political branding is the strategic use of consumer branding tactics in the building of a political image (Scammell, 2007). Specifically, it refers to the tactics politicians use to gain popularity and election. Political branding is not just the use of traditional advertising, but is an all-encompassing marketing and image identity campaign (Scammell, 2007). Presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama were selected for the case studies in this paper on the basis of their succinct image-building strategies and tactics. Both Reagan and Obama were able to brand themselves in a fashion that shows the use of consumer branding in politics, or political branding. Additionally, both successfully marketed their brands to voters of America. Reagan appealed to a more moderate sector of middle-aged men and Obama appealed to the youth vote. Reagan and Obama are often compared politically by the mainstream media as two candidates who ran for president in similar economic environments and had the ability to reach key voting demographics in each election. However, Reagan and Obama

Political Branding are truly similar in their use of political branding to appeal to the public at the time of their elections. Both Reagan and Obama shared the ability to utilize political branding tactics to market themselves to the public. However, this study argues that many of the additional comparisons of these two candidates by the media are too generalized. The research was conducted to not only learn about both of these presidents brands, but to analyze their similarities and differences. To best analyze consumer branding in politics, two politicians who had similarly dynamic election years are studied. The first part of the paper is a literature review that defines political branding. The literature on branding explains the importance of branding by candidates in order to build their base of supporters during their elections. Other parts of the literature review contain a discussion of the use of branding tactics in politics as they apply to the case studies. The candidates use of media to build their brand, the celebrity status that surrounded both of these candidates and how those elements of their brands drew a specific voting demographic are addressed within each case study as important elements of each candidates political brand. The voting demographics each candidates brand appealed to are examined to illustrate how each candidates brand appealed to such different demographics of voters. One notable difference between the two mens eras is the uses and limitations of media; Reagan largely used television to build his brand, whereas Obama had more advanced technology at his disposal and used social media. The two presidential case studies provide a platform to study evident political branding and the appeal of strong brands to voters.

Political Branding Literature Review History of Brand Usage and Implementation The word brand has a history in the meaning of marketing (Jevons, 2005). The Oxford English Dictionary traces the development of the word brand from the Germanic word brandr which refers to the mark made by a hot iron, a usage first noted in 1552 (Jevons, 2005). The earliest definition of marketing found by the Oxford lexicographers was just after this date, in 1561, it is entirely possible that these two terms were coined at around the same time (Jevons, 2005). The modern usage of branding really came on to the scene about 30 years ago (Crainer, 1995). The 1980s were the apotheosis of marketing, marked by the height of the consumer-driven era (Crainer, 1995). Market research, spin, and advertising, all elements of branding, were the key signifiers of marketed parties and candidates in the 1980s and 1990s (Scammell, 2007). The popularity of branding is caused by the rise of modern consumerism and, in turn, the modern consumer. The rise of the brand is completely aligned with the consumer activism of the 20th and 21st centuries (Scammell, 2007). Consumers have a need to identify with a product image, and the 20th century saw the rise of many consumer brands still prevalent today, such as Coca-Cola (Scammell, 2007). Scammell gives four reasons for the rise of the contemporary brand. The first is that recognition of a respected brand name translates into financial value; second, growing distrust and skepticism about the efficacy of mass advertising; third, the perception of increasing consumer power and new concerns for corporate social responsibility; and fourth, consumer research, which insists on the importance of emotional engagement in shopping behavior (Scammell, 2007).

Political Branding The idea of branding has become more of a theory which is applied to cities, nations and politicians by giving them a public identity through the use of consumer branding strategies (Scammell, 2007). The increased use of consumer branding strategies include accepting that branding is more than just advertising but encompasses a much wider aspect of public relations, as it is important for public figures to build an image that resonates well with the public through a more cohesive platform than advertising (Scammell, 2007). Brands are used everywhere and not just as a way to sell a product anymore because the theory of branding has become a way for a public figure to build an identity to communicate to the public (Scammell, 2007). Branding is the hallmark in the millennial generation and used by politicians in image-building platforms. Politicians are encouraged to consider themselves a brand and to use public relations strategies to appeal to the public (Scammell, 2007). Scammell uses the example of Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to demonstrate this process. Blairs Labour party feared the party was becoming increasingly susceptible to brand and outside criticism by disaffected or apathetic voters as the incumbent political party for the past eight years (Scammell, 2007). Blairs people employed a public relations campaign through a consulting agency specializing in branding to help improve Blairs public image, which was modeled after rebranding campaign conducted in the early 1990s by President Bill Clinton (Scammell, 2007; Needham, 2005). Blair was then rebranded as a more Mature Tony by incorporating his youthful hope and optimism with an older, wizened politician to appeal to wavering public opinion of him (Scammell, 2007). Blair consistently insisted on taking difficult questions from hostile journalists and audience members to show that he was not disconnected with his constituency and

Political Branding his willingness to consider himself a new brand helped him successfully identify with the public in a positive manner (Scammell, 2007). The complex nature of branding implies that branding is not simply a convenient term for a marketing strategy and a fashionable term for image (Scammell, 2007). Scammell argues that a good brand name for a company, candidate or product is very necessary as consumers become more demanding and can easily relate to the modern tactic of treating a political candidate as a product (2007). Consequently, all aspects of brands, their definition, research, communication, and methods of economic evaluation, have become increasingly sophisticated, to respond to demanding consumers. The Meaning of Consumer Branding Branding is the new form of political marketing (Scammell, 2007). A base definition of branding is provided by Scammell as in marketing, a brand is the psychological representation of a product or organization: its symbolic rather than tangible use-value (2007). In image-building and marketing, the brand acts as a shortcut to consumer choice, enabling name and image differentiation between broadly similar products (Scammell, 2007). Brands are composed of loose sets of rich associations and impressions recorded in the human mind in one or other sensory form (Chandler & Owen, 2002). Brand imaging in politics appears to add a layer of emotional connection that operates over and above the functional use-value of a product. Evidence of the need for an emotional connection is provided in the rebranding of Blair, where he wanted to connect on a more positive emotional level with the public to increase his approval ratings (Scammell, 2007).

Political Branding The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a name, term, sign, symbol or design which is intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of their competitors (Jevons, 2005). Scammell further defines branding as the psychological representation of a product or organization (2007). This definition implies that the term brand has more of a symbolic rather than tangible use-value. At a basic level, the brand acts as a shortcut to consumer choice, enabling differentiation between broadly similar products (Jevons, 2005). The definition of branding has evolved over time, with alternative concepts such as value enhancement arising, meaning that branding is used in image campaigns (Jevons, 2005). The meaning of branding is dependent on how a brand functions in the modern age of complex advertising and marketing of a product or organization (Jevons, 2005). The definition of branding can be flexible depending on the context in which it is applied, such as for a product or a politician (Jevons, 2005). Jevons argues that the expanded definition of branding has helped to facilitate the use of branding and research (2005). The expanded definition provides widespread flexibility to the term because branding has gone from being simply a consumer advertising term and tactic to a fullfledged marketing identity strategy (Jevons, 2005). Just as marketing is not merely the art of selling a product, branding is not advertising (Jevons, 2005). Branding is continuing to increase in complexity from an advertising tactic to a policy practice (Jevons, 2005). This use of branding falls into political campaigns because essentially managers of all organizations are encouraged to

Political Branding think as though they are handling a branded product instead of a product simply to be sold (Jevons, 2005). Consumer Branding in Politics and Why We Think This Way Much of the literature on political branding has discussed the important impact political brands have on a candidate in an election. In the consumer politics field, brands are made up of a collection of values, ideas and associations, feelings and emotions that come together to make up a coherent identity or image (Chandler & Owen, 2002). One of the larger aspects of branding literature explores the meaning of the cultural significance and identity of all brands (Chandler & Owen, 2002). Brands, from products to politicians, are a major phenomenon of modern-day society and have become very important in sociological and cultural terms (Chandler & Owen, 2002). The message for a successful brand must be simple, visual and memorable (Chandler & Owen, 2002). To be successful, brands need a certain charisma about them, like a political candidate, through which a consumer has a relationship (Chandler & Owen, 2002). Brands authenticate a product and as a cultural icon, a brand must be cohesive (Chandler & Owen, 2002). Branding is now used in many contexts, and is growing extensively. Political branding is referred to as a big business due to its widespread use among politicians in elections (Jevons, 2005). Politicians, pop stars, sports and entertainment identities all have a form of brand identity and can provide good examples of branding in their image campaigns (Jevons, 2005). The brand identity associated with many public figures consists of their public image, marketing and public relations ability and self-preservation tactics (Jevons, 2005). The use of consumer branding in politics is usually referred to as a

Political Branding large-scale image-building campaign (Jevons, 2005). Jevons argues that a politicians brand is relevant and dependent on a successful public image and therefore relevant to discussion (2005). Political branding has changed the use of branding from use in a singular consumer context (Jevons, 2005). The modern use of branding in campaigns is moving beyond the consumer goods industry that provided the incubator for branding growth during the twentieth century; to being extensively used in political campaigns (Jevons, 2005). There is an argument that branding is a term only useful to the consumer advertising industry. However, Lieb and Shah used consumer culture theory and other cultural theories of branding to study President Barack Obamas presidential run and found that a successful brand is why his campaign resonated so well with voters in contemporary United States culture (2010). Obamas campaign found success with heavy use of grassroots efforts (Lieb & Shah, 2010). Obamas brand was genuine and appealed to the public because the Obama campaign understood American culture; especially how the youth culture consumes messages (Lieb & Shah, 2010). The power of the Obama brand to personally connect with the public was demonstrated when Will.i.am of the music group, Black Eyed Peas, produced a video where Obamas actual words from the speech Obama gave after winning the New Hampshire primary were set to music (Lieb & Shah, 2010). The video was shot in a black-and-white documentary style and feature appearances from various Obama supporters, showing the multi-faceted capacity of Obamas brand (Lieb & Shah, 2010). Obamas messages were designed for modern distribution systems, so that each message could be received in an individuals personal way, giving Obama an authentic brand image (Lieb & Shah, 2010).

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Political Branding Brands exist simultaneously at a cultural and individual level (Chandler & Owen, 2002). This is important when discussing political branding because so much of identification with a politician or a political party is about the identification of culture (Chandler & Owen 2002). To be successful, brands need a certain charisma about them, like a political candidates charm. The voter or consumer then has a relationship with this candidate much like a commercial production (Chandler & Owen, 2002). Brands influence consumer behavior and consumer experience by directly influencing consumer perceptions and opinion (Chandler & Owen, 2002). Using Strong Visual Images and a Unifying Message for Successful Brands Mass media plays a very important role in the branding process. In his case study of Ronald Reagans use of television in The Primetime Presidency of Ronald Reagan, Robert E. Denton, Jr., says that television has strong effects on image-building strategies (1988). Politicians use the medium to confirm public beliefs, rather than challenge the public to innovative ideals (Denton, 1988). National audiences require generic appeals, predictable responses and an agreeable image which makes the political candidate appear likeable. The ability of political candidates to utilize television well is directly correlated with the positive image the public has of a candidate (Denton, 1988). A presidential candidates image must be well-crafted because the public image of a candidate is interchangeable with a candidates brand. Television places great importance on individualism, and gives political candidates the ability to craft an individual brand image to appeal to the public (Denton, 1988). Television has been a successful medium for this because not only is it a hot medium, it also emphasizes the traits of warmth, articulateness, and style which results in

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Political Branding personal popularity, prestige and office legitimacy (Denton, 1988). Dentons research argues that a voter builds a relationship with a candidate, based on their impression of a candidates image and brand (1988). A candidates use of television and other types of media makes the brand of a candidate both relatable and charismatic. Strong visual imaging is another important element in a politicians brand. A 2005 study found that adults who viewed an advertisement with a positive and uplifting message were more likely to be interested in the campaign and were found to be overall more hopeful and excited (Seidman, 2010). The study was conducted in 1998 during the Democratic gubernatorial primary in Massachusetts and also argued that in addition to viewing positive and uplifting political images, negative images and threatening stimuli made those surveyed more anxious (Seidman, 2010). Furthermore, people were more interested in the campaign, more polarized for or against a candidate they previously preferred or opposed, and more likely to vote after exposure to the positive visual and aural stimuli in ads, but they did not pay any greater attention (i.e., recall) to information about a candidate (Seidman, 2010). Comparisons of Reagan and Obama Presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama have both been subjects of much comparison in the news media, such as the TIME magazine cover article titled The Role Model: What Obama Sees in Reagan, which discusses how Reagan has appeared to serve as an inspiration for Obamas policy rhetoric in the light of Reagans 100th birthday centennial. It is argued that Obama emulated elements of Reagans branding, such as rhetorical mannerisms that are very similar to The Great Communicator (Duffy & Scherer, 2011). While they do not share a political party, these two candidates have many

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Political Branding similarities and differences that make them ideal case studies for branding comparisons because of the parallels drawn between the two candidates during their first-term presidential elections (Duffy & Scherer, 2011). The media argued that the Democrats should use the Republicans as an example of how to build a strong brand. Prior to the 2008 election, marketing experts predicted the Democratic party would benefit from building a positive brand by studying the branding tactics that Reagan used (Dems Must Now Manage Brand, 2006). Reagan understood how to sell a brand (the candidate) to the consumer (the voter) (Dems Must Now Manage Brand, 2006). In the wake of their sweeping win the 2006 elections, the Democratic party was called on the aspire to better brand management (Dems Must Now Manage Brand, 2006). To build on their win, the author urged the Democrats begin to think as marketers by starting with the consumer (Dems Must Now Manage Brand, 2006). Democrats were urged to build a brand by standing for positives rather than negatives to be able to carry their momentum and win the presidency in 2008 (Dems Must Now Manage Brand, 2006). The article predicted the need for a candidate to have a strong and positive brand to win the presidency in 2008, and Barack Obama was that candidate (Dems Must Now Manage Brand, 2006). Reagan and Obama both ran for election during sinking economies (Tierney, 2011). The media coverage has drawn many comparisons between these two candidates, with TIME Magazine devoting the cover of their Jan. 27 issue to several enterprise stories discussed how Obama found Reagans presidency as a source of instruction (Tierney, 2011). Other comparisons discussed in the media also lie in their experiences in that first set of midterm elections. Reagans revolutionary agenda coincided with a historic

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Political Branding recession, massive employment and a humbling defeat in the 1982 midterms, whereas Obamas spending programs coincided with a historic recession, deep unemployment and midterms that cost the Democrats control of Congress (Tierney, 2011). Both Reagan and Obama have been faced with defeats in midterm elections and controversial Congressional healthcare packages (Tierney, 2011).

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Political Branding Research Methods Scammell said the process of conducting research on branding should be mostly a qualitative process (2007). Scammell notes that brand research is primarily qualitative, seeking of necessity to delve beneath the surface evidence of quantitative polling (2007). The justifications for picking these candidates come from careful study and monitoring of both literature pieces and various media coverage of both of these candidates. The research methods applied to this capstone are qualitative, using scholarly journal articles and books as well as a qualitative analysis of the news media. The journal articles and studies used for this study come from various scholarly research journals and databases such as Communication and Mass Media Complete, J-Stor and Social Science Journals. The in-depth case study of the Reagan brand and the Obama brand uses information from the mainstream media, books and scholarly journals to compare both candidates political branding strategies. There are four research questions explored in this study RQ1: What is political branding and how is it used in presidential elections? RQ2: Are media comparisons of two case studies of political branding using two presidents compared often by the media, Reagan and Obama, valid in light of the comparison of their use of political branding in their elections? RQ3: What were common themes of each candidates brand? RQ4: How did each presidents brand in their election process appeal to key demographics of American voters?

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Political Branding The studies and evidence are not only a brief narrative of the history, definition and use of modern political branding, but also identify the constant elements found throughout the research of the type of qualities that identify a successful brand. The research of corporate and political branding examines both the positive and negative points of branding, in addition to the process of developing a message and image that a political candidate can craft into a brand.

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Political Branding Case Study: Ronald Wilson Reagan Reagans Personal and Political Background Ronald Wilson Reagan was the ultimate perpetuation of the American dream (Canon, 2000). Reagan rose from a humble background to fame in a Hollywood acting career followed by serving as the governor of California then with a two-term presidency. Reagan was born to underprivileged parents, with a father who suffered from alcoholism (Canon, 2000). Reagan went on to attend Eureka College after high school; where he was known for his participation in many of the school theater productions and was described as a natural on stage (Canon, 2000). After college, Reagan served as a sports announcer in Iowa, which gave him the radio experience he would use to build his television and movie career prior to his presidency (Canon, 2000). Reagans years in radio greatly aided in the development of his language and vocal skills, giving Reagan the ability to make reading from a script appear to be very natural (Denton, 1988). What helped him succeed in his acting career would eventually give him the upper hand during televised debates and appearances (Denton, 1988). Reagan moved from acting to the political scene in the 1960s and got his political start by publicly endorsing conservative presidential candidate Barry Goldwater in 1964 (Canon, 2000). Reagan then ran for governor of California in 1966 when he was 55years-old (Canon, 2000). He appealed to voters in the governors race and won by nearly a million votes (Canon, 2000). Reagan was referenced as a good governor, but not a great one; he skated by on his charm and negotiating skills (Canon, 2000). Reagans theatrics and cinematic visions were better suited to him on a national platform than in California (Canon, 2000). His eight-year term as governor led Reagan to aspire to carry out his

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Political Branding political agenda on a larger stage, so he perused the presidency (Canon, 2000). Reagans presidential run in 1980 was his third attempt at running for president (Canon, 2000). He was confident on relying on his advisors for directions and had a sense of his role in the production of the Reagan presidency that led to the careful crafting of his image and brand throughout the 1980 presidential election (Canon, 2000). Reagans acting background enabled him to understand how to take direction and follow a script, and he came across as virile and Midwestern in his popular appearances (Canon, 2000). Reagan was the wholesome citizen hero who inhabits our democratic imaginations, an Everyman who was slow to anger but willing to fight for what was right (Canon, 2000). People who listened to Reagan tended to have confidence in him and feel better about themselves (Canon, 2000). Reagans ability to present himself publicly in this manner made the crafting of his brand simple for a person so accustomed to a position in the public spotlight. The Reagan Brands Demographic Reagan had a visceral appeal to a generation torn between fast yuppie living and a desire for a more structured America (Troy, 2005). Reagans call for capitalist prosperity fostered the media-money culture that middle-class Americans valued (Troy, 2005). Americans wanted to bury the 1960s and 1970s, and many baby-boomers became gogetters who valued fiscal conservatism (Troy, 2005). Reagans brand provided a reassuring cross between fast-living and common-sense fiscal conservatism that was appealing to voters (Troy, 2005). This perpetuation of the brand of a common-sense fiscal conservative gave Reagan the ability to attract mostly white, middle-aged males

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Political Branding older than 40 to the polls on election day. Many people embraced Reagans nationalism because of its carefree, wholly American nature (Troy, 2005). Reagan symbolized a completely new brand ethos of American politicians (Troy, 2005). Reagans brand represented the goals of many voters at the time (Denton, 1988). Reagan made it possible for baby boomers to feel virtuous for criticizing the spend-thrift ways of yuppies, revel in their fiscal conservatism and indulge in Reagans common sense conservatism with his economic policies (Troy, 2005). The Reagan brand symbolized a glorious America, where people should not only work hard for themselves, but show off their hard work through their consumer purchases (Troy, 2005). The element of branding and consumer culture in America emerged in full force during the 1980s. The packaging of Ronald Reagan as the pivotal American candidate had everything to do with the relevance of 1980s consumer brand America. In the 1980 presidential election, Reagan ran on a platform that encouraged consumerism, but for the goal of American progress (Troy, 2005). Americans, encouraged by Reagans gospel of progress and prosperity, happily indulged themselves in brand-name items and the consumer industry (Troy, 2005). Shopping became an ingrained part of American culture, with the familiar refrains of advertising jingles from beers like Budweiser uniting the public and malls creating homogenized, artificial environments that helped franchisers take over what had been an individually-owned shopping America (Troy, 2005). Americans became intent on owning the latest, hottest and best brand (Troy, 2005). The example of the launch of New Coke emphasizes how consumer and brandobsessed the 1980s were. The centrality of a soft drink to the identity of both New Coke and Classic Coke advocates reflected Americans epic consumerism (Troy, 2005).

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Political Branding Americans who were once wary of large, all-consuming chain stores became salesearching, trend-spotting, franchise-hopping shoppers (Troy, 2005). The dawn of Reagans America became the brand of Reagan in a brand-obsessed country. Reagan took the perfect opportunity to package himself as a consumer product in the age of consumerism. To have a successful presidential image, one has to successfully act the role of the president by illustrating a macho presidential style, which the Reagan brand illustrated well (Denton, 1988). Reagan established the ideal of a heroic presidency by his reinforcement of traditional perceptions of U.S. myths and values (Denton, 1988). Reagan represented a complete brand package (Denton, 1988). The Reagan brand was a person who was competitive in politics and life; sports-minded and athletic, possessing of an air of certainty that never wavered; unemotional; strong and aggressive; not weak or passive; powerful; and a real man who was never feminine (Denton, 1988). Reagans winning brand was successful because of its appeal to a nation that valued success, wealth and a strong advocate for the American dream (Denton, 1988). The macho style that contributed to Reagans brand gave him an advantage over other candidates because it gave him a strong brand identity. The Reagan Brand in the 1980 Election The Reagan years paved the path for politicians to use distinct consumer branding tactics in political elections. In the early 1980s, images of corporate brands were everywhere (Raphael, 2009). MTV had just launched and became the ideal for complete media-integrated branding and corporate sponsorship was a major factor in branding cities to sports stadiums to schools. In terms of major political branding in 1980s, Ronald

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Political Branding Reagan was the uber-brand (Raphael, 2009). In the 1980s, Reagan offered Americans the opportunity to help bring the world into focus (Troy, 2005). For some, it was the miracle of America being revived from an economic recession, the fall of the Soviet Union and the once seemingly unassailable Berlin Wall come down (Troy, 2005). For others, Reagans vision represented a national aura based on personal capital that was immoral, adolescent and dangerous (Troy, 2005). However, no matter the outlook, the importance of the Reagan generation cannot be denied (Troy, 2005). Reagans vision essentially represented his keystone contribution to the 1980sa decade of boom times and consumerism (Troy, 2005). Reagan encouraged Americans to prosper and succeed, which served to boost morale in a faltering economy. Upon accepting the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in July of 1980, Reagan scoffed at the notion that the United States was past its prosperous zenith (Canon, 2000). In the election, Reagan defeated Carter with the battle cry of, Are you better off than you were four years ago? (Canon, 2000). This slogan symbolized the high interest and inflation rates of the Carter years and served as a negative rallying cry advocating prosperity and change (Canon, 2000). Reagans battle cry in the 1980 election built his brand of a reassuring, friendly candidate who could be trusted to stabilize the American economy at a time of great uncertainty (Canon, 2000). Reagan believed that Americas best days lay ahead and he wanted to be the candidate to guide them there (Canon, 2000).

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Political Branding Television and the Reagan Brand Reagan used mostly television to sell his brand to the people by making the medium become the message, meaning that the reality of his image for public perception was as how Reagan wanted to appear (Denton, 1988). The Reagan brand was so successful because Reagan and his staff knew how to utilize television to build an identity that was appealing to Americans (Denton, 1988). Reagans election is often referred to as a mass-media showcase in an era where presidential campaigns are really a matter of which candidate has the best control of the mass media because of how well Reagan used television (Denton, 1988). Ronald Reagan was a master of controlling the hot medium of television because of his ability to come across as natural, collected and friendly on television (Denton, 1988). Reagans use television was one of his main tactics he used in the building of his celebrity image in his brand. Reagan fully lived up to his nickname of The Great Communicator by being able to perfectly mold himself to his preconceived public image through his use of television (Denton, 1988). Reagan had an advantage on television because of his acting background, which greatly helped him seem appealing on television during the 1980 election. Reagans career base captivated the American audience with his television persona; his mastery of television was his foundation for his powerful brand (Raphael, 2009). Denton said Reagans use of television was vital to his brand because of televisions image-building potential, those who win presidential elections are those who fulfill the role expectations of the American public. And role expectations have very little to do with political issues or policies. Those who win are those who perform best on television (1988).

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Political Branding Reagans use of television in building his brand was directly related to his knowledge of the packaging of Hollywood (Tory, 2005). To survive in Hollywood, Reagan had to project the necessary self-confidence to win the next role while struggling with the actors insecurity that every completed job was his last (Troy, 2005). This attitude helped Reagan in the 1980 presidential race because his confident aura that he projected as an actor and celebrity showed off spectacularly when compared to his 1980 Democratic rival, President Jimmy Carter on television (Troy, 2005). When the two candidates appeared together, Reagans welcoming personality radiated through on television, especially during the presidential debates where Carter appeared stiff and morose next to Reagans jovial nature (Denton, 1988). Additionally, Democratic critique of the incumbent Carter administration helped many Americans advance the Reagan revolution, an escape from the openness of the 1960s and 1970s, when people did not look kindly upon capitalism (Troy, 2005). Reagans aggressive perpetuation of the American Dream of a friendly, but macho, president gave Reagan superior media coverage compared to Carter because of Reagans appeal on television and his fiscally conservative policies, which further encouraged the publics critique of the Carter White House (Denton, 1988). Reagans brand complied well with a set and defined role of expectations associated with the presidency (Denton, 1988). The Reagan brand was a change from the free spirit, uncertainty and the frowning on capitalism of the 1970s (Troy, 2005). Media culture in the 1980s perpetuated the idea of the successful businessman by feeding the idea of the success of the business-oriented (Troy, 2005).

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Political Branding Reagans brand also had an influence on mainstream television shows, which depicted Reagans vision of America through their various plots (Troy, 2005). In the 1960s and 1970s, many television plots branded businessmen as corrupt or greedy foils, but Reagans brand validated businessmen, with his values based on those of John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie (Troy, 2005). Television plots in the 1980s depicted Reagans business and economic ideals through shows like Dynasty and the growth of conservative organizations and periodicals (Troy, 2005). The Reagan brand had a lasting effect on the popular culture of the 1980s by inspiring a variety of television shows and movies designed on cracking down on crime (Feur, 1995). The social problems modeled on television shows directed towards Americans were intensely reflective of the popular frustrations across America and fueled the New Right engine of the 1980s (Feur, 1995). Television shows like Hill Street Blues and Americas Most Wanted aired for the first time during the Reagan years and perpetuated Reagans America of wiping away crime and embracing American conservatism (Feur, 1995). The generation of television dedicated to crime fighting and a brighter, cleaner America is evidence of the lasting brand legacy that Reagan left on America and American voters (Feur, 1995). The idea perpetuated in 1980s popular culture of fighting crime and protecting the family represented the ideal norms of American life and came from the Reagan brand that he identified to gain election (Feur, 1995). The Reagan brand defined a generation of pop culture, as well as a defining a new generation of politics. The evidence of the generation speaks through the educated middle class sector of America with whom Reagans message resonated greatly (Feur, 1995).

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Political Branding Role of Celebrity in Reagans Brand An acting career ultimately molded Reagans celebrity brand. After passing his Hollywood screen test at the age of 26, he moved onto what he felt was his true calling; acting (Canon, 2000). Reagan starred in Kings Row and a variety of other films before moving onto the public stage in the 1960s. His acting career and radio experience laid the foundation for his future political image (Canon, 2000). His ability to give concise sound bites, understand how to give a speech and deliver a punchline to a joke were all tactics which gave Reagan the ability to build such a successful brand (Canon, 2000). Ronald Reagan had a very succinct celebrity metaphor that accompanied his brand. Reagan enjoyed the name recognition in the political scene that stemmed from his acting career, even though his name recognition made other politicians wary (Canon, 2000). Reagans celebrity background gave him ample opportunity to build a celebrity role in his brand that would appeal to his target audience. Reagan combined a glamorous Hollywood slickness with a small-town devotion to the presidency, and helped to shift the terms of the debate and candidacy platforms in America (Troy, 2005). Popular culture of the 1980s presented the public with many glamorous stories, and Reaganism, or perpetuation of the Reagan brand, shaped many of them (Troy, 2005). Reagan was able to make business authority seem glamorous by presenting the rise of Celebrity CEO at the end of an era of Nader-like antiauthoritarianism (Troy, 2005). Reagan was able to provide a certain element of celebrity glamour to the political arena based on his strategic utilization of his celebrity experience in his candidacy and business policies. Reagans acting skills, cinematic language and

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Political Branding orchestrated settings resulted in the election and reelection of one of the most popular presidents in national history (Denton, 1988). The role of celebrity in the Reagan presidency was carefully crafted by Reagan himself and served as a reminder of his Hollywood past as a successful actor. Reagans 1980 election offered positive and idealized images which offered an indirect celebrity appeal to voters that Reagan controlled (Denton, 1988). Reagan identified and welcomed a heroic image about his celebrity; an image that espoused faith, God and country and was surrounded with patriotism (Denton, 1988). Reagans role of celebrity was that of the romantic, American hero (Denton, 1988). Reagans grace with which he accepted the packaging of his image contributed largely to the success of his brand, which was also facilitated by his celebrity background.

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Political Branding Case Study: Barack Hussein Obama How Obama became the youth candidate and changed political branding with his use of social media Obamas Personal and Political Background Barack Hussein Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961 and was raised primarily by his mother and his grandparents (Obama, 1995). Obama spent a margin of his childhood in Indonesia before returning to Hawaii for school (Balz & Johnson, 2009). Obama then went on to pursue his higher education with a scholarship to Occidental College in Los Angeles where he began his career in grassroots organizing (Balz & Johnson, 2009). Obama built his platform as a community organizer on the need for change, which was very similar to his brand in the 2008 election (Obama, 1995). In the early days of his community organizing, Obama responded to his college classmates inquiries about what a community organizer did by pronouncing the need for change (Obama, 1995). Obama said in first book, Dreams from my Father, there was a need for change throughout the country and that change wont come from the top. Change will come from mobilized grass roots (1995). Obama spent a majority of his early career years as a grassroots organizer on the South Side of Chicago where he took on such projects as working towards a safer Chicago public school system (Balz & Johnson, 2009). Obama then graduated from Harvard Law School in 1991 and went on to work at firms specializing in civil rights law (Balz & Johnson, 2009). He was also the first African-American to be named Editor in Chief of Harvard Law Review (Balz & Johnson, 2009). In 1997, Obama was elected to

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Political Branding the Illinois State Senate and served until 2004 when he decided to run for national office (Balz & Johnson, 2009). Prior to his running for U.S. Senate in 2004, Obama was not well known outside of the political sector (Balz & Johnson, 2009). He began to yearn for a bigger pond in which to affect his political goals (Balz & Johnson, 2009). Obama first stepped into the spotlight as a national political phenomenon when he was selected to be the keynote speaker at the 2004 Democratic Convention (Balz & Johnson, 2009). In his moving speech, Obama told the story of his own life and illustrated what would become his signature message by urging the need for optimism and bipartisanship in government (Balz & Johnson, 2009). His convention speech not only launched his national presence, but also laid the presidential foundation for Obamas brand of unity and hope for a better future (Balz & Johnson, 2009). Obamas speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention completely changed his career path as he began to attract a substantial amount of national attention (Balz & Johnson, 2009). He was referred to as the star of the convention and it projected him to national celebrity status (Balz & Johnson, 2009). Throughout his time in the U.S. Senate, even though Obama passed no legislation and gave no major speeches, he was treated like a rockstar (Balz & Johnson, 2009). Obamas public political activity was distinctly helpful to his public image and much of his activity was built around raising his national profile in the case of a possible presidential run, including making a trip to Africa like many other presidential hopefuls (Balz & Johnson, 2009). Obama announced the possibility of his running for president on Meet the Press in 2006, making Obama one of the more exciting Democratic presidential candidate

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Political Branding possibilities for the 2008 election because of his novelty to the national political scene (Balz & Johnson, 2009). At many of his public events and rallies, prior to officially announcing his candidacy, he drew large crowds that were unusual for someone so early in their political career (Balz & Johnson, 2009). Obama drew crowds interested in this young, dynamic politician who was relatable to the American public. Obamas personal and political history has appealed to many Americans because of its fairy-tale like roots (Balz & Johnson, 2009). Obamas history represents a classic tale of humble roots and triumph over adversity in touch with community needs (Balz & Johnson, 2009). The Obama Brands Demographic Youth voters identified with Obamas brand as fresh and new in a time when many young people were yearning for a change in the American presidential system (Balz & Johnson, 2009). To an American public open to new ideas and people and susceptible to the political idea of change, especially in difficult times, many things about Obama symbolized a sharp break from the past, which was one of the reasons Obama had such widespread national appeal (Balz & Johnson, 2009). Obama saw hope in the young voters of the millennial generation, defined as individuals born between 1977 and 1997 (Schulte, 2007). This young demographic was part of a large surge in youth activity in politics around the time of Obamas election, because of their strong opinions on the war in Iraq and increasingly liberal views on social issues (Schulte, 2007). Walter Shapiro, political reporter and former Washington bureau chief for Salon.com, who has covered the last eight presidential campaigns, attributes the overwhelmingly positive nature of Obamas brand in the 2008 election as a way to attract a young generation who idealized bipartisanship.

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Political Branding According to Shapiro: The millennial generation doesnt like conflict, which is very much different from the baby boomers. In fact, the millennial generation was such a perfect target because younger voters were attracted to Obama because of the bringing together nature of his campaign as a consequence, Obama was always going to do exceedingly well with voters under 30 years old (Personal Communication, March, 23, 2011). At the 2004 Democratic Convention, Obamas speech, elements of which became part of his signature brand, urged people to cease thinking of America as politically divided. There is not a liberal America and a conservative Americathere is the United States of America. There is not a black America and a white America and a Latino America and an Asian Americatheres the United States of America (Balz & Johnson, 2009). Obamas appeal to the youth vote is reflected in the voting results for the 2008 election. The results pinpoint this targeted segment of voters, ages 18 to 29, gave Obama the largest percentage, 66 percent, achieved for this group since exit polling commenced in 1972. In addition, 28 percent of voters in this age category reported that they had been to a campaign event in a battleground statethe highest percentage of any age group in 2008. The turnout by young voters increased in many of these states; with an estimated one-percent increase nationally (Keeter, Horowitz, & Tyson, 2008). According to the mainstream media, Obama also carried the youth vote in the Democratic primaries. While enthusiastic Democrats of all ages produced a 90 percent increase in turnout for the first caucuses, the number of young voters in the primary

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Political Branding elections was up 135 percent (Drehele, 2008). Obamas appeal to youth branded him as the youth candidate, which was reflected in the voter demographic results for the 2008 presidential election. The Use of the Obama Brand in the 2008 Election Obamas 2008 election was the first consumer election, meaning Obama was a consumer candidate instead of simply a candidate that appealed to consumers (Seidman, 2010). The Obama campaign used mostly positive visual designs to brand Obama, which were designed in part to convince young people that he was inspiring, moderate and unifying (Seidman, 2010). Many of the consumer branding tactics Obama used were designed to appeal to this millennial generation (Seidman, 2010). These strategies and tactics not only encouraged the millennial generation to vote, but were employed to specifically gain their votes (Seidman, 2010). The messaging in a brand must be consistent, and Obamas brand was built on his use of consistency in his marketing (Creamer, 2008). Obamas brand was built with grand gestures like ignoring perceived ideals and norms of a target audience, a strong use of social media and a consistent message (Creamer, 2008). The strategies crucial to the success of the marketing of Obamas brand was the campaigns understanding of groundlevel marketing (Creamer, 2008). Obamas bold brand was considered to be a grand gesture of the rejection of the former fears of the Democratic party strategy, which assumed that red states could never be won (Creamer, 2008). Through the networks that the Obama campaign built in 2008 through the techniques of use of social media and message framing a so-called Obama mega-brand resulted (Creamer, 2008). Obamas marketing strategies resulted in a brand that was big enough

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Political Branding to be anything to anyone, yet had an intimate-enough feel to inspire advocacy that raised funds at record-breaking, almost obscene levels (Creamer, 2008). The Obama brand gave birth to a massive network of on-the-ground supporters who were so crucial in the getout-the-vote effort that added incremental Democratic ballots (Creamer, 2008). Visual Imaging and the Obama Brand Obamas overwhelmingly positive brand as a presidential candidate was partly due to his strong use of visual imaging. A good brand is something that is constantly unique and identifiable, with which people can form a connection (Seidman, 2010). The visual images of Obamas campaign accomplished all of these things as a successful brand logo (Seidman, 2010). The positive visual design tactics that Obama used in his branding were built on the foundation that positive visual images would make a positive impression of a candidates brand on voters (Seidman, 2010). The visual images Obama used aimed to evoke optimism and hope among voters and served to build Obamas brand as the candidate for optimism and hope. The visual images Obama used during the campaign, specifically the symbolic logo of the campaign, the blue O which stood for Obama, and the red-and-white stripes which stood for flag and country, became a part of this brand and were used on everything from the campaigns official Facebook page to the official t-shirts sold by the campaign (Seidman, 2010). Obamas brand in the 2008 election was one of hope and excitement for change. Obama excited the publics imagination not for deeds already accomplished, but for the promise of ones to come (Conley, 2008). Consumerism and strong visuals were consistently intermingled in the Obama brand in the 2008 election. During the Democratic primary season for the 2008

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Political Branding presidential election, the New York Times compared Obama and primary rival, Hillary Clinton using their traditional image styles, each candidates use of new media and their websites using the comparison of Mac vs. PC (Cohen, 2008). The New York Times used the metaphor of a Mac computer for Obama to demonstrate how Obama was a fresh brand (Cohen, 2008). The New York Times analogy came from the Apple commercials with the young, fresh-faced adult male as a Mac (simple, understated, yet ready to work) and a stuffy, middle-aged gentleman who was easily harassed as a PC (Cohen, 2008). As indicated by his website design, Obama was found to be Mac, showcasing Obamas popularity and successful branding as a fresh candidate easily able to win over a young demographic (Cohen, 2008). Clinton was found to be a PC, showing Clintons traditional and technologically simple ways of campaigning on her basic website (Cohen, 2008). Obamas website was labeled as more harmonious than Clintons, with plenty of white space and soft blue palate that was easy on the eyes (Cohen, 2008). The design of Obamas website was simple but quite painstakingly done all the way down to the taskbars, like Apple product packaging (Cohen, 2008). Whereas Clintons site was far more traditional and used a conservative color scheme of dark blue with sharp lines dividing content with basic, sharp, cookie cutter icons (Cohen, 2008). A candidates brand is something that is gently built upon and worked out with a steady foundation, but Clintons website contained too much of a brash in-your-face technique (Cohen, 2008). Obamas strategic use of visual imaging in his media tactics, such as his sleek website, contributed to the distinct quality of his overall brand (Cohen, 2008). Both candidates were perceived as having relevant brands, but Obama stood out

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Political Branding with his youthful appeal and use of social media to build a dynamic brand, a broad base of support, and young core of activists (Lieb & Shah, 2010). The comparisons of these two candidates represented the importance and the ability of the Internet and new media to brand a candidate. Obamas Use of Social Media in his Brand The 2008 presidential election was the first time social media was used, other than a candidates personal website, in the branding process of a presidential election and social media played a significant role in the branding of all political candidates (Metzgar & Maruggi, 2009). The Obama campaign utilized the audience-friendly element of social media very well (Metzgar & Maruggi, 2009). The Obama campaign had such a great success with social media because they were able to take more freedoms with their control of the message through the use of social media, which was dramatically different from the Republicans use of social media (Metzgar & Maruggi, 2009). Republicans in 2008 were not prepared for the necessity of the widespread use of social media because Republicans did not want to lose control of the party message, whereas the Democrats were less concerned with message control (Metzgar & Maruggi, 2009). Social medias strength lies in its cohesive nature and lack of strict hierarchies, meaning campaigns that do not have a significant desire to have control over their message are more likely to see the benefits of social media as applied to their campaign (Metzgar & Maruggi, 2009). Social media was such a crucial and successful aspect of the Obama brand because it provided a platform for widespread social networking (Mangold, 2009). Obama used the social networking theory, which asserts that people, or consumers, enjoy networking with people who have similar interests or desires to their own (Mangold, 2009). Organizations

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Political Branding can manage the peoples desire to network by creating communities of like-minded individuals (Mangold, 2009). The Obama campaign understood that people are more likely to communicate through both word-of-mouth and social media when they are engaged with the product, service, or idea (Mangold, 2009). This type of engagement may come naturally for supporters of causes and political candidates (Mangold, 2009). Obama used his online presence to gather supporters together, raise excitement and provide information in a widespread, viral fashion (Mangold, 2009). Obamas social media strategies and tactics strengthened the Obama brand with their strong reach and online marketing, which spread community awareness of the brand (Erwin, 2008). The Obama campaign was referred to as Obama brand evangelists because of how well they built Obamas brand using social media, even though they exerted little control over the message (Erwin, 2008). The Obama brand was free of control and technologically advanced, which appealed to its target audience of young voters (Plouffe, 2008). The lack of message control worked well in the Obama campaigns use of social media (Plouffe, 2008). The Obama campaigns email list was at 13 million people close to Election Day, which essentially created an advanced version of a television network that was able to move past television and communicate directly with no filter to a significant number of voters (Pfouffe, 2008). The Obama campaign did not invent anything completely new with its strategic use of social media because it was built on the foundation of image-building and networking (Carr, 2008). However, they added a very new element to building connections by bolting together social networking applications in the form of a movement (Carr, 2008). The Obama campaign created an unforeseen force to help raise

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Political Branding money, organize locally, fight smear campaigns and get out the vote that helped them emerge victorious first in the democratic primaries, then in the presidential election (Carr, 2008). As a result of the use of social media, Obama gained not just a political base, but a database, with millions of names of supporters who could be engaged almost instantly (Carr, 2008). Role of Celebrity in Brand Obama Prior to the 2008 election, Obama became a celebrity in his own right, and gained popularity among youth voters unparalleled by any other candidate in that election. Constant media coverage, magazine covers and iconographic images, made Obama an overnight celebrity (Park, 2009). Obamas newness to national politics and his dynamic nature built on this celebrity (Alexander, 2010). The celebrity role in Brand Obama came off as well to the public because of the Obama campaigns overwhelmingly positive marketing (Seidman, 2010). However, the popularity that Obama generated gave the Republicans an opportunity to take this celebrity role in Obamas brand and attempt make it appear as a negative aspect (Alexander, 2010). The Republicans took advantage of Obamas popularity and used it negatively in a national campaign advertisement to make Senator John McCain seem like a more dependable candidate (Alexander, 2010). The McCain campaign was wary of Obamas popularity and desperate for a way to make voting for this new, popular candidate seem more like a risk than a venture. Obama had even had success branding himself as a more military-friendly candidate than McCain, an Armed Forces Veteran, by visiting troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in July 2008 (Alexander, 2010). The success of Obamas excursions threatened McCains popularity with the military, a development that would be

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Political Branding devastating to the McCain campaign (Alexander, 2010). The Republicans believed that Obama could take the youth vote, but McCain should have his traditional target audience; the military (Alexander, 2010). Republicans were aware not only of Obamas popularity, but his popularity with young people. The McCain campaigns advertisement portrayed Obama as a shallow celebrity with no leadership experience to act as Commander in Chief (Alexander, 2010). The ad played crowds from Obamas campaign trail shouting his name repeatedly over famous images of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, with the words he is the biggest celebrity in the world, but is he ready to lead? (Alexander, 2010). Branding Obama as simply a celebrity and not an experienced politician in the campaign advertisement was the GOPs way of acknowledging Obamas popular brand with youth voters (Alexander, 2010). If people saw Obama as simply an experienced famous celebrity figure, with no real political credentials, then people would align Obamas brand with youthful celebrities like Linsday Lohan and Paris Hilton (Alexander, 2010). The McCain campaigns efforts to brand Obama as a high-profile, toxic celebrity with hollow and superficial travails like Britney Spears, Hilton and Lohan was dangerous branding for Obama, a candidate very popular with young voters (Alexander, 2010). This strategy was designed to designate Obamas brand as a celebrity candidate for young voters, making him unelectable by other individuals of the population (Alexander, 2010). The idea to brand Obama as an egotistical celebrity was an indication to how the overwhelming novelty and popularity of Obama gave him a celebrity image, albeit not one necessarily designed by the Obama campaign (Alexander, 2010).

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Political Branding The results of a study of public opinion of Obama after the ad aired were initially skeptical, with the ad eliciting media attention but did little to affect public opinion of Obama (Alexander, 2010). However, the symbolism in the ad made an impression; less than a week after the launch of the Obama celebrity metaphor, seven out of ten Americans viewed the low-budget, quickly produced advertisement (Alexander, 2010). The Celebrity ad from the McCain campaign, while branding Obama as a celebrity in the pejorative sense, actually had little effect on the Obama brand (Park, 2009). Obama was still able to build his celebrity brand in a positive manner and was able to appeal charismatically to his audience, which further appealed to his celebrity role (Park, 2009).

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Political Branding Discussion and Findings The case-study comparison of political branding and its use by Reagan and Obama argues that these two presidents had strong political brands at the time of their elections. Reagan and Obama both understood the necessary means in which to successfully market an image to the public. Both presidents had brands that were marketed to the public very well in a time where voters were yearning for a change in the political atmosphere. However, Reagan and Obama had brands appealed to two very different demographics of voters, which suggests many of the comparisons initially made by the media were overstated. Obama and Reagan both had similar elements of consistency in their brands but used different tactics and strategies to appeal to their demographics. The consumer branding appeal that Obama and Reagan had to voters is a similarity between these two presidents, but they differ dramatically in how they used political branding and the demographics to which their brands appealed. The elements of this discussion include the relevant findings in the case study comparison of these two presidents. Voting Demographics and Political Brands Media comparisons of Reagan and Obama argue that both Reagan and Obama appealed to youth voters, but when their brands are examined, it was found that these candidates appealed to two separate voter demographics. On Election Day in 1980, most of those who voted for Reagan were middle class white males, those baby-boomers who were exhausted from the uncertainty of the Carter administration (Troy, 2005). The mainstream media reported that the hold Republican Party had on the youth vote in the 1980s was steadfast (Schulte, 2007). The political website, Real Clear Politics reported

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Political Branding that as old as he was, Ronald Reagan was an aspirational candidate - the kind that would naturally appeal to young people (Canon, C. 2011). Additionally, Real Clear Politics has compared Reagans voting demographic to Obamas stating the Youth Vote boosted the Republican Party in the Reagan era, although Reagan won so big it was easy to miss (Canon, C. 2011). However, these findings are incorrect. If the voting statistics from the 1980 election are further examined, youth voters leaned more moderate and democratic and Reagan carried mostly the middle-age white male demographic (Troy, 2005). According to national Congressional voting statistics from 1980, approximately 60 percent of college freshman considered their political views to be moderate to liberal and Reagan did not carry the youth vote (Stanley & Niemi, 1990). However, one similarity among voters in 1980 and 2008 were voting concerns. In 1980, a majority of Americans voters considered the biggest national concern to be the economy (Stanley & Niemi, 1990). In 2008, 61 percent of voters saw the economy as the nation's most important problem, about the same share as among the general public (Pew Research Center, 2008). The 2008 election saw record high voting numbers, which was very different from previous elections. Statistics found that there were overwhelming numbers of youth voting across the board. Young people between the ages of 18 and 29 cast approximately 22 to 24 million votes in the 2008 election, the third highest turnout since the voting age was lowered to 18. (CIRCLE, 2008). The high youth voter turnout was attributed to an increase in voter outreach to voters between the ages of 18 and 29, especially through technology like social media (CIRCLE, 2010). The high voting rates, with their

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Political Branding technology outreach effort, shows the Obama brand was a successful marketing tactic to draw younger voters. While Reagan carried the middle-class, middle-aged vote, Obama was by all means the youth candidate with a brand that was very appealing to young voters. Youth voting numbers were very high in 2008 and many of those votes went to Obama. Young voters favored Obama over McCain 66 percent to 32 percent (CIRCLE, 2010). According to the Pew Research Center, 66 percent of those under 30 voted for Obama in 2008 (2008). Obama did have a strong hold on the youth vote, and examination of the branding tactics and strategies Reagan used finds that Reagan did not appeal to the youth vote nearly as much as Obama did; a striking difference between the two presidents. Television and Social Media: How the latter changed the face of political branding Reagan and Obama both knew how to utilize media strategically to build their brands. However their use of individual mediums differed exponentially. Obamas use of social media gave his campaign the ability to reach many people at once and connect with people whom they would not have necessarily connected to without social media. The emergence of social media was after Reagans time, but was an asset added to Obamas campaign because of its widespread reach. The widespread use of social media by the Obama campaign changed political branding by allowing the campaign to reach many more people at once by taking control of the message out of the hands of the candidate and placing it into the hands of the individuals. Reagan had complete control over his media use in the 1980 election, whereas the Obama campaign did not and was still successful in political branding practices. Image control was of prime importance to every element of Reagans staff and Reagan had

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Political Branding control over every aspect of his image through the medium is the message element of television (Denton, 1988). However, Obamas use of social media actually gave his campaign less control over the message; a move which garnered great success for his campaign. Obamas Internet team combined online enthusiasm with on-the-ground mobilization by keeping their online communications open to users, which made individuals feel a larger sense of involvement (Lynch, as cited in Thurber, 2008). In the first days of the 2008 presidential campaign, Obamas Internet team attempted to seek control of a MySpace page that was independently created by an Obama supporter (Lynch, as cited in Thurber, 2008). The campaign eventually conceded that eventually it did best by letting a thousand followers bloom on their own with the use of social media (Lynch, as cited in Thurber, 2008). It can be inferred that the use of social media gives the presidential candidate less control over the message, and therefore less control over the candidates brand. However, the loss of control does not necessarily damage the brand as much as encourage audience participation in the political process. Obamas revolutionary use of social media changed political branding because it negated the necessity for complete control over the message, and was still a successful branding tactic. Like Reagan, Obama also used the medium of television to build his political brand as television is a prevalent tactic in politics, even with the increased use of new media in the 2008 election (Seidman, 2010). The campaign ads were designed to solve any doubts about his perceived heritage, and supposedly radical associations, focused typically on one key issue or character trait of the candidateor his or her opponent (Seidman, 2010). The Obama campaign devised a number of spots that featured still and

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Political Branding filmed footage of his Caucasian grandparents and mother and World War II scenes at home and abroad as a metaphor for his grandfathers service in the military (Seidman, 2010). These campaign ads used strong visual images to brand Obama in a controlled medium, which was still a part of the Obama branding process despite the use of social media. These images were similar to the strong visual images used by past presidential candidates but one large difference between Reagan and Obamas use of television is that Reagans use of television in 1980 was mostly to build his rhetorical technique and personal appearance. Reagans use of strong visual images, like that of Obamas in 2008, did not appear in his television commercials until the Morning in America campaign in 1984, which featured spots that proclaimed its morning again in America, showing a wedding, a family moving into a new home, fertile fields and employed construction workers (Denton, 1988). While Obama did use television in his campaigning, it was similar to Reagans use in that Obama knew how to present his brand to an audience, but the control elements in each candidates brand varied greatly, with the use of social media setting a new standard for how much control was permissible to be taken away from the candidate in the image-building process. Reagan controlled all elements of his brand via television, where the media virtually became the message whereas the Obama brand worked best when the campaign exerted little control over the message. Use of Celebrity Metaphor in the Political Branding Process Political elections are won and lost based on stances on policies, demographics and finances, a candidates use of metaphor, ability to attain voters symbolic identification of the candidates brand and the narrative in the candidates message

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Political Branding (Alexander, 2010). A candidate must strategically employ all of these elements in their brand to have a successful election, and the role of the celebrity metaphor resonated well with the Reagan and Obama brands. This study argues that both Reagan and Obama had celebrity metaphor play a part in their brands, but the use of celebrity in each case study was presented and received differently. Reagan and Obama both projected a certain air of celebrity in which appealed to Americans and each was considered to be a celebrity in their own right. This celebrity image also had a very succinct impact on their brands as candidates. However the packaging of each candidate as celebrities was portrayed differently in each candidates brand. The different element that the role of celebrity played in each candidates celebrity election gave each a celebrity role to their brand in their own right. Reagans element of celebrity was very carefully packaged, much like the rest of his brand, especially because Reagan was used to his name carrying recognition from his acting past. However the celebrity element in Obamas brand was a phenomenon of constant media coverage of a candidate so new to the political scene. Reagan was used to his celebrity appeal because he was a famous actor prior to his political life. Reagan consistently referenced his Hollywood past and enjoyed the name recognition that followed him into his political career and eventually his presidency. However, Obama had a celebrity political brand because of his fresh appearance on the national political scene and his identity as a youth candidate. Obamas element of celebrity was perpetuated by the media and by negative campaign ads which capitalized on the fanatic media coverage and large crowds Obama drew to events

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Political Branding Limitations The large amount of content available on Reagan and Obamas marketing and political strategies provided a challenge on deciding what specific elements to include. The large amount of content related to this topic set limitations because the amount of time allocated did not allow for all aspects of information to be included. In addition, it is possible that the amount of information analyzed was too general in an attempt to be allinclusive, making the significance of the results rather minimal. Conclusion and Recommendations This examination of political branding contributes to the consumer culture field of political strategy and political communications research by arguing that political branding is a strategic image-building tactic in presidential elections. The study provides a reference to two large-scale uses of political branding and aims to illustrate how two candidates have used consumer branding tactics in politics. Reagan and Obama had a great deal of valuable marketing tactics to offer to the public, despite the differences in brands. The comparison of these two case studies identifies and analyzes three common elements in each brand; the role of the media, their voter demographic and the celebrity metaphor based on mainstream media comparisons of the two candidates but finds various differences between the two candidates within these common themes. Obama and Reagan did share similar branding themes that the media illustrates and the differences in each brand show the changes in political branding over time. The recommendations for further research are designed to build on the subject matter in this paper. It would be ideal to conduct more research on branding to propose how the Democrats could strengthen their brand further in light of expanding use of

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Political Branding social media in future election cycles. Further message testing of social media should be done to see if there have been any changes in how an audience prefers to interpret a message since the last presidential election. It is almost the end of Obamas first term in office and he has announced he will run in 2012. This research area would benefit from analyzing Obamas brand in 2012 during and after the 2012 election to see how it has changed and evolved since Obama first ran for president in 2008. There is a variety of future research potential in the field of political branding, especially with the widespread use of new media in politics. This case study of the use of consumer branding tactics by Reagan and Obama can be used as a historical reference of the ways in which political branding has changed over time and how its use appeals to the public.

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