Multiplication
A new brand was launched in Britain yesterday: a brand that now governs its 60 million people. David Cameron, with his background in PR, instinctively understands branding, and 'The Coalition' has three explicit brand values (freedom, fairness, responsibility) and a visual identity that's austere (to suit the economic times) and yet also quietly confident. This is a clear example of a multiplier brand, linking the two ruling parties together, and multiplying their meanings: almost miraculously, it makes the Conservatives modern and progressive, and the LibDems serious and fit to govern. The two party leaders believe they've created something new in British politics – but will their parties follow them and exploit this multiplying power, or will they feel more comfortable sticking with their old party brands? It's instructive, by the way, to contrast the Coalition with this month's other big new multiplier brand, the Orange/T-Mobile joint venture. Unlike the Coalition's sobriety, this has a grandiose spirit that feels distinctly old-fashioned: its name is Everything EverywhereTM.
21 May 2010, posted by Robert Jones
