BRANDING A FACE

 

    I am fully supportive of children wearing uniforms to school. It teaches them disciple and awareness. As a school child I had to respect my uniform and this transitioned into my adult working life. Working in the bank I understood I had to behave professionally, as long as I wore the uniform. It was easy to keep my work life separate from my personal life.  But this has changed as now employers have expectations of employees in office and out of office as representatives of the brand. 

In more recent times, marketeers have promoted the need for employees to become brand ambassadors. Some corporations have taken this into some scary areas in the personal lives of employees but if you agree to be a brand personality there is little or no division between your personal and work life. 

Due to immense competition, a brand has to be articulate to stand out. It uses specific communication elements to reach its target and send a clear message. It uses symbols, images, activities, texts (copy) and statements which form part of the brand mix. While branding is essentially still the same in concept as it was 4000 years ago, it has expanded into brand personality and personality branding. Join me as I explore the following aspects of the brand personality:

• brand personality strategy
• the political figure stands out as a brand
• the factors creating the personality

THE BRAND PERSONALITY STRATEGY

A brand personality reflects the firm or institution. It is the identity of the brand that makes it stand out. An individual can be the face of the brand. It is different to personality branding which is when an individual becomes a brand on the digital spaces. Some marketeers blame the rise of personal branding (corporate or individual) on the public's lack of trust for government and institutions. Yet an individual becoming the brand personality represents the firm or institution. They have a face to be accountable and for them to relate to.

The personality provides human connection and reliability. Generally for branding, the public will expect truthfulness, consistency and ethics. The relationship is based on trust and genuineness. The brand personality is the embodiment of the brand identity and puts into action the brand statement. They are accountable for fulfilling the statement to the target (See more on this here). While the statement is specific for the target, the personality is not limited to the target. 

To demonstrate how the brand personality works in marketing I will use a political personality.   It would be easier to find insights of the branding identity, without the smoke screens of glam, and glitter that an entertainment personality would offer. It will necessitate a political figure who stands out with a distinct identity locally and globally. 

The country as a brand will have to be obvious as well. Even though the cultural shift driving brand personality is more current, this personality offers us an opportunity to look back and assess. I submit Golda Meir as being ideally iconic in representing and positioning the brand of her country, Israel.  

THE POLITICAL FIGURE STANDS OUT AS A BRAND

The political figure today has to be more approachable than was expected in those days. They are always visible and transparent. Most importantly politicians inform and develop the brand of the country through voice and vote. They have influence and they have opinion that are hopefully informed. They are held accountable to the public and the law of the land. 

Politicians are not expected to fall from grace. Well, there was some flexibility with Bill Clinton's affair. But in the 20th century there was more rigidity of expectations as the top tier of politics would be the Prime Minister and such an office represented the country in this case the brand.

Golda Mabovitch who became Golda Meir 

Golda Meir was the fourth Prime Minister of Israel and therefore the brand personality of Israel. Just a little about the brand of Israel for some context. It was only in 1948 that Israel became a nation recognised by the world and by 1969, it had caught up with equal rights for women. Israel is unique as a nation. It is  consistent despite a history of its people spending hundreds of years in exile and as slaves themselves. Journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner, Charles Krauthhammer puts it like this;

Israel is the very embodiment of Jewish continuity: It is the only nation on earth that inhabits the same land, bears the same name, speaks the same language, and worships the same God that it did 3,000 years ago. You did the soil and you find pottery from Davidic times, coins from Bar Kokhba, and 2,000-year-old scrolls written in a script remarkably like the one that today advertises ice-cream at the corner candy store. (Krauthhammer, 1998)

A brand has to stand out and the personality has to stand out. Golda Meir was the first female Prime Minister of Israel and therefore the third female in that position in the world. But Golda Meir stood out further as a free woman with her own personality. As Ling White pointed out it is still a struggle to be free as a woman because male dominance exists even in the generic pronouns. However, Indira Gandhi, the first female Prime Minister of India helps us to understand the free woman; 

In the West, women's so-called freedom is often equated with imitation of man. Frankly, I feel that is merely an exchange of one kind of bondage for another. To be liberated, woman must feel free to be herself, not in rivalry to man but in the context of her own capacity and her personality. (Gandhi, 1984)

Prime Minister of India (1966-1977, 1980-1984)

I don't think there is any doubt that women have had to perform in rivalry to men. In the political sphere men are still dominating in numbers. This is why it is said that it is a man's world. Golda Meir became the first woman globally to rise to Prime Ministerial duties without the political background of a parent or husband. This sets her apart from other women in the same post. 

The closest to contest this was Pratibha Patil, who became President of India in 2007. But I think that her ties with the very influential Nehru/ Gandhi dynasty would have helped. Golda Meir did it all on her own. She did it her way and did not care to . She was the third female to hold such a post, and she was the first to do it on her own merit. Similarly, Israel is set apart from most countries. It has accomplished a lot economically in the short time since 1948. 

The brand personality must have a connection with the brand. She shared Israel's history. Israel had for many years been scattered abroad and been downtrodden, this was reflected in Golda's family background. She was born in present day Ukraine that was under Russian rule. As a Jew her family had no rights. As a child she witnessed her father having to defend the family often. She saw the pogroms. But when Israel started to emerge, so too did she from the early 1900s after she migrated to the United States of America. 

The personality would have expertise in the industry.  Usually political figures would work up the ranks and create a history and connection with a political party. 

She proves expertise in handling the affairs of Israel. Prior to becoming Prime Minister, Golda Meir worked to develop and integrate Israel into the international community. She left her mark on history as she forged relationships for Israel in Latin America, Africa and with United States of America. Additionally, her signature is on the document that creates the nation of Israel. In this way she was foundational. Mrs. Meir made a name for herself. She is still referred  to as a savvy diplomat, a bulldozer, the grandmother of Israel, and the iron lady of the Middle East. 

Golda Meir must demonstrate a clear understanding of the brand of Israel, and its situation then and for the future. For this blog I will look at a very simple statement made by her, 

There were no such thing as Palestinians (Washington Post, June 1969). 

This was painted or interpreted to be an attitude of hate. The stance of a hardliner.

As Prime Minister her statement was representational on a national level. But if you read more on this at Palestine and Israel - A Case Study in Marketing and Propaganda, you would understand she was standing up to the growing demand and popular concept of Palestine. In this way she proved herself to be able to hold her own independent of others and display an understanding of the situation that Israel was being placed in then and for the future.

Although highly criticised she had to be clear and focused for various reasons: 

• her tenure as PM was during some very tense and violent years for the Middle East
• both previous female Prime Ministers were assassinated
• for her and the nation the trauma of the the Holocaust was still very fresh
• because of the growing anti-Semitism globally
• she witnessed her father defending the family against Jew haters in Ukraine 

• 

  Camp David Accords

  she understood the real issue behind the Israel and Palestine situation and would not accept the lie behind it 

There was no room for a softening in her attitude. Sadly, although she was painted as being uncompromising, it was her attempts to be more receptive to peace and extend trust towards the enemies of Israel, that led to her departure from politics. Again she reflects Israel in her life story. Historically Israel has not had the luxury of being able to relax. 

Her enemies are all around her and they wait for a moment to pounce. This can be explained by the Hudaybiyyah Code from 628 AD which is still upheld by her enemies. Yasser Arafat had invoked it in 1995. Basically, it allows you to sign a peace treaty but break it if it is to your advantage. The unwillingness to be at peace with Israel led to the assassination of Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat, former President of Egypt (1970-81), who sought peace.

Golda Meir was not known to care for popular trends and believed in what she was doing. She had genuine conviction. Her predicament as a woman in this position was that she was often misjudged and based on my research so too is Israel. When she was firm she was accused of being a hardliner and unfeeling. When she sought after peace, her people /nation was attacked twice and she was criticised of being weak and unprepared.

As a PM she was lambasted by some for not being as much a hardliner as she was in her earlier political career. It was felt by many that she was unprepared to defend Israel. This seemed to be proven when 11 members of Israel’s Olympic team were murdered in 1972 and by the many Israeli soldiers that died in the Yom Kippur War in 1973. In this way she was seen as a failure. Israel learnt a lesson from these events.

Golda Meir was the brand personality and reflected the brand of Israel. She did not live it as separate from her, it was part of her. Something that in this context resembles patriotism but is more heightened. I think that Jamaicans come close to branding a nation. They understand the importance of it in building the nation and identifying themselves with that brand.

FACTORS CREATING THE PERSONALITY

In using Golda Meir as an example, it is my hope that you see how important it is for the personality to stand out, be consistent, have a connection with the industry, show expertise, and reflect the brand. There are several tips to create a brand personality:

1. As a brand personality you only have your name and your reputation. Sounds familiar? In branding you take time and make the effort to shape that reputation into a personality you want to be known as. This way the story and a history develops between the brand and the personality.

2. As a political figure in a high ranking position, Golda Meir's words were repeated and are still used because she had a definite and distinctive voice. People spoke about her either good or bad. Your message must be focused and it is easy for others to understand it and see a clear definition. The statements made by the individual should be consistent with the brand. 

3. It is recommended that you find a niche and then find a niche within that niche to appeal to. Even Oprah Winfrey had to fine tune her voice over the years. Golda Meir understood her target and her statements testified to this (more on this here ).

4. Be authentic and genuine. In present day marketing and particularly with political figures, the public expects to see proof of honesty and care. It is a data driven world, it is expected that a brand personality engages in activities that reflect the identity of the brand. Further to this, I want to suggest that the brand personality must have a relationship with the brand itself. It is not about the brand and the public only.

5. There must be a story around the brand. I think her life reflects the story of Israel in many ways. There is a consistent identity seen. 

6. The public wants to relate to the brand personality and with honesty they will see that there were mistakes but lessons were learnt. Golda Meir did make some mistakes along the way and while some marketeers endorse the expectation of, or need to make mistakes I would not recommend it. Deliberately making a mistake can have unforeseen consequences. 

This risk is particularly greater in these modern times. However Walt Disney explains it like this; 

I think it’s important to have a good hard failure when you’re young. I learned a lot out of that. Because it make you kind of aware of what can happen to you. (Forbes, 2018)

Golda Meir did it all on her own. She did it her way. She was the third female to hold such a post, and she was the first to do it on her own merit. Her personality and life reflects Israel's history in many ways. As a brand personality she represents Israel as the factors creating a brand personality can be applied to her story and that of Israel's. Golda Meir's message was clear and consistent. As a brand personality she positions the brand that is Israel. You can read more on this at Branding Nations - Branding Positioning Statement 

click here

click here

Sources: 

Charles Krauthhammer; At Last, Zion: Israel and the Fate of the Jews". The Weekly Standard, www.freeman.org. May 11, 1998.

https://marketinginsidergroup.com

https://www.forbes.com/sites/goldiechan/2018/11/08/10-golden-rules-personal-branding/?sh=77de5e7b58a7

https://www.biography.com/political-figure/anwar-el-sadat

https://www.biography.com/political-figure/yasser-arafat