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Why? Because Google is a company that began with its “Don’t Be Evil” slogan and must be seen to be guided by it. Other multi-nationals might be able to play it looser with authoritarian China, but that’s because people buy brands, they don’t buy companies. In other words, most multi-nationals are in the business of moving products and it is the products that interest the Target Markets not the way the companies maneuver behind the scenes to get those products to market.

But Google is the product. The search engine itself as well as most of the services that Google is involved with depend on the impression that they “aren’t evil” and are doing their best to make the free flow of information and unfettered access to the Web a reality for their users.

Being seen as a participant in censorship of the extent demanded by China was simply not possible for long.

Moreover, Google’s company image is what has enabled them to develop other brands (i.e., products and services) and gather as much good will as they have. The massive book scanning project or their YouTube business would be harmed if they were seen as tampering with the user’s experience.

This high-visibility stand which will certainly hurt them in China at least for the short-term will pay dividends for the center-piece brand of the company in the long-term because it will re-assure all of the search engine’s devoted users that Google is putting the effectiveness, quality and freedom of their search first above all other concerns.

Now that is marketing!

The Loser:

On Sunday night a major piece of legislation was passed without one Republican vote –this hasn’t happened in modern times.

Politically, Barack Obama managed to pull something off with health reform that no one had been able to do thus far. This is an achievement.

Unfortunately, it is a brand-damaging achievement. To accomplish it the President had to align himself so closely to the Democrats that his image as an outside “change bringer” is virtually ruined.

Fact is, he has now cast his lot with the Democrat old guard and the Republicans are now positioned as the hardened opposition. Forget all about bi-partisanship. Even if it were possible, it’s over now. (With their talk of repealing the legislation, the Republicans are signaling that they risk becoming the party of “no” which isn’t good for them either –but it’s easier to fix than Obama’s problem.)

The fundamental problem for the president from a marketing perspective is that by turning to the old guard Democrats, he has turned his back on significant segments of his Target Market. Fiscally conservative independents and Democrats as well as the many cross-over Republicans who voted him into office are not seeing the man they voted for occupying the presidency. This is political bait-and-switch and it affects a wide swathe of the previously favorable Obama electorate.

Bottom line, the die has been cast. Obama and the Democrats are joined at the hip. What’s next?

President Obama needs to put the pedal to the metal if he wants to have a chance of re-election in 2012. This means that he might as well start pushing every piece of partisan legislation he can because he won’t be getting his reputation as a new kind of politician back anytime soon. He can only hope that the legislation he passes (Wall Street regulation, immigration, etc.) works and makes those Target Markets he’s done such a good job of alienating happy again.

And, remember, things are always easier when you keep marketing and branding in mind.

John Tantillo is a marketing and branding expert and the founder and president of Marketing Department of America. His book, “People Buy Brands Not Companies”, is available on amazon.com