Keywords or Terms:
Branding; re-branding; Hillary Clinton; US Secretary of State; White House;
Promoting existing awareness; Psyche of voters; Benghazi case; Nationalistic
Argument; Executive Emails; Congressional Republicans; Domestic and Global
Security; American Exceptionalism; Exercising Political Powers; Monday-morning quarterbacking; and, seven-steps of rebranding campaign message
Yes, Hillary Rodham Clinton is running for the US
presidency. This is all so good for the generation of baby boomers, especially the fifty and sixty- something females, who experienced the era of burn the bra;
and, have fervently looked forward to a day when an American female will occupy
the White House’s oval office. It is not that Hillary’s second try at the race
will prove any more infallible than her first; however, her probable chance
this time around, while so promising, may still depend on the outcome of
voters' perception of disturbing
accusations from the Republican Party: 1) the Benghazi Fiasco; and 2) the use
of personal emails for official duties when serving as US Secretary of State.
Not that there has been a failure; rather, that unlike other promising candidates
in the 2016 field, she seems to be the one to beat. It will be wrong and
probably irritating to assume that since she is the front runner, she stands a
better chance than the remainder in the field, Democrats or Republican. Here
comes the need for Rebranding of her campaign message(s), consequent to her
initial effort in 2008; and subsequent to her service to the nation, as a US Secretary of State.
More important than an announcement of a
candidacy for the highest office in the land – the media blitz, fund raising, press releases, twitting, campaign tours, early state visitations and leg walk
surrounding getting a campaign off the ground – is the need for branding and or
rebranding of the candidate’s aspiration, messages, promises and hope. This
task is as much important as raising campaign funds, getting the message
surrounding the candidature broadcasted, and offering voters, glimpses of policy
options or proposals, that the ascendancy to the office of either Mr. or Mrs. President, will offer. Branding or rebranding offers the candidate an
opportunity to project an image or logo that the voters can easily identify
with and relate to, until the voting day in 2016, and probably, after the
swearing into office. Branding and Rebranding are concepts used in marketing to
move a product, person or concept, that have surreptitiously moved to every facet
or spheres of our lives. While branding involves the overall design and
promotion of a product, person, service or concept, rebranding involves repackaging
of the image of a service, person, product or person. Either of these efforts
are so germane to modern day political campaigns as the legitimacy of a
candidacy itself in the gilded age of information dissemination.
You probably saw the “H” and subscript “T” logo
flying on your monitor screen or newspaper to launch or relaunch the former US Secretary of State effort to clinch the big prize of American politics. The logo
gave the urgency of a change, it revives the dynamism of the proposed candidacy;
and in case of Ms. Clinton, offers the chance of repackaging an image and
message of re-running for the White House. It furthermore paves the way for a
reentry of initial policy options or proposals of the 2008 campaign, that were
either shelved, unmet by current administration, or still rather dear or important
to the candidacy of Hillary Rodham Clinton for the topmost political position
in the land.
Rebranding therefore in the case of 2016
Presidential Campaign of Hillary Rodham Clinton, promotes both the existing
awareness of her campaign message(s); and if effectively and consistently done,
the opportunity for voters to indoubtedly embrace her position on policy issues
and political rhetoric. Rebranding of Ms. Clinton’s political campaign may lead
her campaign towards a future in the next eighteen months, converting hearts,
souls and mind of the voter, to a political power driven by a larger number of
voters, hitherto unexperienced in US Presidential Campaigns, especially among
the female members of American population. Hillary Clinton may leap into the
White House oval office, despite the hounding of Republicans of what may or
may not have happened in Benghazi, on that unfortunate night, if her brand or
rebrand, persists in the psychic of the voters, who are ready to give a female
an opportunity to hold that cherished veto power of a presidency. The driving
forces here, are effectiveness and consistency of deliverance of her brand from
the campaign team, that the mention of her candidacy effectively symbolizes a
brand of excellence of achievement that voters can identify with, put their
support behind, and are ready to give a trial in the oval office.
No matter Congressional Republican’s machination
to invite back the former US Secretary of State to give testimony on the umpteenth time regarding whatever happened, or did not happen at Benghazi, Libya,
Candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton must neither capitulate or surrender the
allure of her meritorious service to the nation. National service is enviable
and problematic occasionally, especially when you have no control over all the
possible events surrounding your duties, in an executive position. Beyond heroic chauvinism to the more humdrum of the duties of a Secretary of State,
the legitimacy of the argument of the impossibility of being able to predict
actions of others in far away land or places, is suffice argument in testimony,
in this case. Congressional Republicans are inoculated from answering multiple questions, in multiple times, regarding all the bills that were passed, which
many of them have truthfully acknowledged, they probably knew very little
about, or failed to familiarize themselves, because of the weight of the responsibility
of their position; and the human frailty to admonish all errors associated
with an office. Benghazi case, is yesterday’s news, today’s, is to explore ways
of preventing a repeat of the unfortunate incident or event. To a much more
nationalistic argument in testimony before congress, is the recognition of the frailty of human error, painful as it may, and spurning it to the advantage of a Presidential candidacy’s message on a national stage: “It will never happen
or repeat itself under a President Hillary Clinton’s watch!”, pronto.
Moreover, the current effort at US State
Department is already reflective of the experience of that night; and, the
current implemented changes in all US foreign embassies and posts, must stand
out as an example of a reflective leader, who learned from probably a painful
mistake, because of the splintered nature of all the American Embassies across
the globe; and, who is ready to move ahead. In the context of executive
leadership, to continue to revisit an old wound or give priority to a belated
effort, is creating an unnecessary rebellion against the obvious. American exceptionalism – a strong case of leadership of an effective former US Secretary
of State, is an antithesis of intensified hullabaloo from Congressional
Republicans regarding actions taken during her tenure.
Presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton has
an urgent need to nip the Congressional Republicans’ rebellion in the bud
regarding the use of personal emails for executive duties as a US Secretary of
State; and or, the issue of the Benghazi, Libya fiasco. She must not cede her
position to the new generation of Congressional Republican extremists, whose
goal is to stir fear in the hearts of the American voters, that a Presidency of
Hillary Rodham Clinton, is a recipe for disaster similar to Benghazi or hold
ups, in an electronic emails. Many Congressional Republicans who feel the moral
responsibility to question the audacity of the former US Secretary of State
during her term in office, enjoy domestic security without having to dirty
their hands or being in the fore-front of fighting global terrorism; a feat
which Ms. Clinton, in collaboration with other Foreign World’s ministers have
had to contend with. The brutal truth is that it is much easier to play Monday
morning quarterback, than to actually play the game on the field.
Certainly, Candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton and
former US Secretary of State has demonstrated in spirit the acknowledgment of
possible errors in Benghazi, Libya. The extremists’ Congressional Republicans
assume that Ms. Clinton, having demonstrated the ambition to seek the Office of
the Presidency, ought to be hounded all over again. Having achieved merit and
demonstrated leadership at US State Department, Republicans now view her run
for the Presidency, as an affirmation of her positive credibility to dethrone
any one of their impending flag bearer come 2016. While Ms. Clinton suffers the
risk of a blow back for her Presidential Campaign if she doesn't fight back at
any Congressional hearing, she also has the fortitude and likelihood of receiving tons of sympathy from Americans, if she is able to effectively communicate the
risks of the new world order regarding global terrorism; and espouse her
preparedness to take on any of the global terrorists, as she wields the power
of a US presidency.
Similarly, Ms. Hillary Clinton’s effort in the
State Department, has provided collective stability for both national defense and global security, considering the advice and support she provided current
Obama’s administration to dethrone some depots in the Middle East during her
era as US Secretary of State. Many European leaders, including the Russians, have explicitly acknowledged the brilliance of her service; and the messy aftermath
of the Arab Spring, is a recognition that all was not well with some
governments in the Middle East, that served with implicit support or
corroboration of former America’s Presidential Administrations; and, there was
an overdue need for change in leadership among some unrepentant despots of the
region. Moreover, Ms. Hillary Clinton enjoy huge respect and recognition from
many global leaders; and, would maintain many alliances that have bolstered
global stability since her exit from the Office of US Secretary of State, if
elected the first female President of the United States. While not over-zealously trying to impart a degree of precision of what is probable in a
Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Presidency, it is safe to say that her experience as a
Secretary of State will only serve the nation better, if she is the occupant of
the oval office come 2016; at least better than what one can say for current
slate of candidates aspiring for that office this time around.
Given that Ms. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s candidacy
for the US Presidency seems to be unwelcome by some radical Republicans in
Congress, her campaign team must now remain in constant engagement with the
American voters over the next eighteen months. The Hillary Clinton’s Campaign
Manager’s task must include branding and re-branding of her campaign messages.
With no exceptions, campaign messages fanned out must be engaging for her
supporters; and, communication with them must be proactive. The undecided
voters must be brought around, by complete interaction and immersion in the
hope and promises of the first female President of the United States. Hiccups
on the campaign trail must not be allowed to spun out of control; that is why,
a very close knit shift and clamp down of any unauthorized message from the
campaign, must be closely monitored. The unconfirmed or misguided campaign
messages that have often torpedoed other
campaigns, must be closely scrutinized. The ‘haters’ or antagonists, those who
are completely anti-Hillary Clinton’s candidacy may remain, but must not
overtly be seen as lost causes. Thus, the practicality of adopting the seven
stages of rebranding, to attempt to woo, even if only ten percent of this group
of naysayers.
The precise architecture of the seven steps may
take the following format: 1) Influence and shape Hillary Clinton’s campaign
message with a series of practical policies and pragmatic programs that address
the concerns of some in this group – ask for those characteristics and
qualities in Hillary Clinton, that is a turn-off for these antagonists – ask if
they may support some initiatives of the campaign and insist that they provide
answers to what they want or expect of Hillary Clinton as a Presidential Candidate; 2) Obtain feedback from community contact groups that are doing leg
walk on behalf of the campaign – phone calls, online surveys and email surveys
of what the supporters are finding out during interactions with their neighbors and why some are holding back support for the Secretary’s candidacy, will be an
eye-opener; 3) find out quickly what is not working with Candidate Clinton’s
campaign messages – part of your effort is to connect to all voters, not
necessarily your initially targeted group; change and reconfigure your message
to connect to the emotions of the voters and brand your message to covet the
favor of those hard to please; 4) Develop a story – let your campaign message tell a story about a female who has been close to power, asserted executive
power and stood at the cross-road of history, when it was necessary to bring
down one of America’s number one enemy – reflect not only on her work ethics,
but also her motherly and grand motherly love; 5) explore and permeate the
Hillary Clinton’s campaign message brand over multiple dissemination platforms,
including word of mouth, emails, twitter account, social media, website, radio
and television, 6) consistently pound your campaign message, advancing
far-reaching initiative of bringing more supporters to carry over the promises
of the Hillary Clinton brand; including adopting coherent campaign standard of
wooing prospective supporters and building a bridge to the not so much supportive voters; and, 7) Be consistent and never second guess your efforts or
the secretary’s intention, in offering some words in an impromptu interview,
with some unknown media. Stay focused and determined to win the election.
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