Important Brand Lessons from Hillary Clinton's Challenged Campaign

// NOTE: This hub post is not meant to be political. If you disagree with TIME's views politically, please go to the TIME web site and post your comment //

TIME Magazine posted an article online a couple of days ago called "The Five Mistakes Clinton Made" and highlights the five specific things Clinton did (or didn't do) during her campaign which unfortunately resulted in her current primary dilemma. Should she stay or should she go? Why did this all have to happen to a highly regarded Democratic brand?

TIME author Karen Tumulty explains Clinton's biggest blunder was that she "misjudged the mood":

.... Clinton chose an incumbent's strategy, running on experience, preparedness, inevitability - and the power of the strongest brand name in Democratic politics. It made sense, given who she is ... but in putting her focus on positioning herself to win the general election in November, Clinton completely misread the mood of the Democratic-primary voters, who were desperate to turn the page.

As I read the article, I couldn't help but to think about the "Clinton brand." Surely, the Clintons are widely known and recognized public officials. But what specifically constitutes the Clinton brand? PresidentialBrands2008.com summarizes Hillary Clinton's brand with one word: competence.

The web site also lists the following brand-specific observations of the Clinton brand:

• Hillary Clinton is an intelligent, well-prepared and experienced candidate.
• If Clinton were a car, she'd probably be a Volvo stationwagon: solid, reliable and there to get the job done, not make you fall in love.
• If Clinton were a technology company, she'd be Microsoft - dominant and all business.
• Finally, Clinton may very well be the New York Yankees of the political world - great pitching, hits for power and has

So what has gone wrong with Hillary's brand in recent weeks? Actually, Hillary's recent campaign challenges have little to do with her branding strategy, which has been quite brilliant. The things the Hillary Clinton brand stands for are all good things: experience, intelligence and reliability.

Unfortunately for Clinton, no brand power in the world can replace the power of positioning; and no branding strategy should ever dismiss or underestimate the significance of the "market mood." How can a brand of such high-level competency such as the Clinton's fare in a market mood ravenous for change and new, fresh energy?

Surely, the big stink overcasting the Barack Obama brand camp is that he is "the least prepared candidate" for the job of President, especially when compared to Hillary Clinton's vast experience.

But when you look at the current response for Obama -- a candidate the Clintons have repeatedly referred to as a junior Senator or "green" with little experience -- it does appear Obama has the most momentum and campaign vibrancy despite his limited record of performance.

PresidentialBrands2008 says this about the Obama brand:

• Barack Obama is Mr. Personality.
• Voters find him interesting, likable and, well, exciting.
• If Clinton is a stationwagon, Obama is probably a BMW Z4 convertible, sporty, flashy and fun.
• He's Apple to Hillary's Microsoft.
• Obama is the Chicago Cubs - intriguing and beloved by the casual fan, but without many championships to show for it.

How could this be?

The answer is simple: the market mood. As TIME's Tumulty stated, the people are desperate to turn the page. They don't want the same old, same old any more. They want a refreshingly new face at the helm of U.S. government, and the momentum throughout the campaign has, in fact, leaned in this direction consistently. Even worse, and most ironically, the Clinton brand in many ways represents exactly what the market mood does *not* want: politics as usual.

So what can marketers learn from Hillary's brand disaster? A few things:

1. Superior branding in a vacuum will fail.

2. Marketing an elite brand in a market that wants personality and practicality won't work.

3. Dismissing the importance of the market's needs and wants in your brand delivery strategy will backfire.

4. Assuming your brand will work and be well received just because of its rich and long history can be seen as a position of arrogance

Even as I type these very words, Fox News is stating once the Democratic primary campaign ends, the Clinton era will be "over." All brands, ultimately, come to some end. Sadly, the Clinton brand seems to be on its way to a better place ...