Brand Identity

As a few of you might know, I've been taking some some MBA courses at Georgetown over the winter and one of the items we address is the importance of a clear strategic vision (for those Goergetown MBA grads, think "Timmy") and the brand identity that comes from its simple execution. With that in mind, I was delighted to read a great piece by former DNC press secretary Terry Michael on rebranding the democratic party in today's D.C. Examiner. His point is an important point and goes a long way towards explaining the current problems of the Democratic Party.

As he points out, the Repuiblican brand can be reduced to this:

Government bad. America good. The marketplace will provide. In God We Trust. Equal opportunity, but not equal outcomes, for all.

The Democrats, though, have bastardized their 200+ year old brand so much so that even Mr. Michaels, a former DNC press secretary admits he isn't sure what the brand is, but believes its something like this

Government isn't all that bad; look at Social Security and Head Start. America isn't always that good, we try to impose our will on a multicultural world. The marketplace is full of bad guys who need to be restrained. Hey, we're religious, too. And redistributive social justice for all, because, except for me and my friends, racism endures.

Which would you buy????