John Tantillo’s Winner and Loser of The Week: Mitch Daniels and the egg industry
Winner:
Sometimes personal branding is best done by simply being who you are and doing what you do.
This sums up Mitch Daniels, Republican governor of Indiana and a potential sleeper brand for the next presidential election.
Folks, what I’m getting at here is the idea of authentic brand behavior versus mere brand promotion.
There are personal brands in business and politics that become well known for promoting themselves, but there are also brands that become well known because they labor quietly and successfully for years and the world eventually comes to them. Warren Buffet is a standout example of the second kind.
So is Mitch Daniels. Daniels is starting to get attention for what he is and isn’t doing. He is a Republican governor with incredible government and business credentials running a state very effectively. What he’s not? A Republican figure not currently governing (i.e., Palin, Gingrich, Romney) but inhabiting a public media platform from which to express his ideas.
This article in The Economist gives a pretty good idea why when we look at Daniels, we might really be looking at a serious Republican contender for the White House.
Fact is, when it comes to picking a Republican candidate for president, my sense is that both Palin and Gingrich have aligned themselves too closely with the populist and far-right aspects of Republicanism. This won’t work for them in a general election and because it won’t work for them in a general election, the Republicans will gravitate to someone who has a better chance. Moreover, Daniels, while conservative, has held himself apart from the tea party and other recent political trends. My guess is that over the next year or two, these trends will date and the American people will find a conservative who has been focused on the business of governing instead of self-promotion a very appealing choice.
One last point. Daniels is not only efficient but he’s likeable. And he’s not only likeable, he’s also positive. His brand of conservatism isn’t about simply saying “no” or being rejectionist. He’s an idea man and as I’ve said before, Republican’s can’t be the uncola… They must be for something.
Stay tuned.
Loser:
With the nation’s largest egg recall underway and the FDA reporting 1,000 people or more sickened by salmonella, the egg industry has taken brand damage.
But as with every crisis, there is opportunity.
Bottom line, the large egg producers, especially the ones implicated in unsafe practices, must go on the offensive showing that they are actively taking responsibility for the mess and ensuring the safety of their product. This means direct outreach to consumers in ways that are clear and forthright and will work to restore confidence.
But while the whole egg industry will be, fairly or unfairly, tarred with this crisis, the smaller egg producers known for high standards have an opportunity to break their brands out from the pack and differentiate themselves.
These producers have the chance through smart campaigns and packaging to make sure their customers know that their eggs are safe eggs and always have been. Even better, higher price points (say for organic eggs) might even become a sales strength when folks become willing to ensure that their breakfast doesn’t make them sick.
And, remember, things are always easier when you keep marketing and branding in mind.
TODAY’S TANTILLO TAKEAWAY –
Sometimes brands can pull ahead by simply doing what they do best –and doing it consistently.
John Tantillo is an AMA member and president of the Marketing Department of America, a New York-based marketing firm.
http://blog.marketingdoctor.tv/
The opinions expressed in this post are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the American Marketing Association.
