Senator Barack Obama is on the cover of the April, 2008 issue of Fast Company.
The feature story is The Brand Called Obama.
“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.”
Also of interest – Seth Godin on the brand called Hillary – Sunk costs, quitting and the value of your brand.
“Here’s the math as I see it for brand Hillary: The only chance she has to win is to burn down other brands, violate protocol, push harder than many think appropriate. She has to change her brand to achieve her goal. Not only that, but she has to risk the entire Party at the same time. If she does manage to win the nomination, she will be pilloried by the right (the very same Rush that endorsed her in Texas). They’re just waiting for the chance.”
