8/13/2015

Branding to win an election

Associate Professor Ang Swee Hoon wrote a piece in the Today paper on 12 Aug 15 titled ‘Of branding and relationship building’ with a subheading, ‘What marketing can teach political parties about winning votes’. Branding is important, and rightly PAP is the brand, the most recognizable and highest rated brand for the last few decades. WP is coming up and looking very good and credible.

PAP has been priming the brand to win votes for as many GE as there is to be counted in the island’s history. They had done well. The question today is whether the brand can continue to shine and to attract the votes it used to do or has it started to jade?

The other big question is that a brand is just a brand. If there is no substance, a brand can only hold on for that long. Nokia was the brand but no more. IBM and HP used to be the brand but no more. The PAP was the brand and delivered in the past. The barrage of yesterday’s news on TV is testament to the power and glory of PAP’s past achievements. Could the past glories of PAP be a factor to persuade the voters of today that PAP is a party for today and for the future?

In its heydays, putting a PAP badge on a dog would also get the dog elected. Has this changed?  In cyberspace, it is looking the other extreme. If that is true, the PAP brand is in for a beating in this GE.

What is the standing of the PAP brand today?  Has it lived up to its past records of uplifting the lives of the people and as Hsien Loong said, everyone is better off today under the PAP?  If PAP is still the brand, it will have no problem returning to power after the next GE. Or is it a brand on the wane, a brand of yesterday?

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think Tan Cheng Bock says it best: "Do the right thing."

Given the problems that Singaporeans and Singapore face today.
We need to vote people into parliament that have the courage to do the right thing.

It's got nothing to do with branding.
And it's very self-serving for a marketing professional to tell you it's a branding problem.

https://www.facebook.com/TanChengBock/posts/400992746641933
https://www.facebook.com/TanChengBock/posts/146294148778462

I voted for Tan Kin Lian during the Presidential elections.
But I have to say that over the last 4 years, Tan Cheng Bock's message of 'doing the right thing" has stayed with me.

Anonymous said...

The PAP brand is still very shiny and relevant in Singapore today. No problem winning the next GE. Look at todays paper, all men in white and lots and lots of news about the PAP. Has the election hustings started? Certainly looks like it in today's ST. Surely the oppositions are at a disadvantage?

Anonymous said...

Some may be as smelly as Khaw dung .....

YEW will likely need to hold your noses or clothe-peg them when going into the booths next month .....

Otherwise your breakfast or lunch may come out there and then like the Merlion at the river front .......

Anonymous said...

But what is the PAP brand?
Is it just a bunch of nodding parrots and monkeys in parliament?
All nodding in agreement with the big donkey?

What do you think?

Anonymous said...

Hello August 13, 2015 9:15 a.m.

Please have more respect for the MPs in Parliament. They are there to govern the country and do the best for you. Like it or not the next GE will have the same result as the GE of 2011. The same kind of MPs will be there to look after your welfare, Scary thought right? Well like it or not that will be the scenario after the next GE. Sob, sob.......

Anonymous said...


Branding! Branding! Branding!

I agreed that branding is very important and can win this GE!

It is especially so in Singapore where boundaries are always
changing and with very short notice of GE for campaigning.

Many feel that the PAP brand is too big to fail.

But, WP is fast becoming a trusted and reliable brand in Singapore.

Other opposition parties have some ways to go regarding branding.

Candidates from all parties "look" the same. How to assess them in
so short a time.

So branding is the ONLY way going forward.

This GE is all about branding!

How to enhance your party's brand will be the deciding strategy!

Believe me, IT IS ALL ABOUT BRANDING!

What brands will Singaporeans choose?

We shall see.

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

I really admire PAP in the early days. Ministers worked for the common good of the people and are humble. You can see them rolling up their sleeves to work along the citizens. No pretence. Just sincere to inspire people.

Now, PAP is no more attractive and respective, so to speak. There is no connection between "them" and "us".

Anonymous said...


yes, it is all about branding.....

in Hokkien they call it "Lau Bark Tao" which means "Old Brand"......

Anonymous said...

"Please have more respect for the MPs in Parliament."
August 13, 2015 9:22 a.m.

Respect is earned.
Huk pui to all the free loaders in parliament.
Living off the hard work and sacrifice of honest Singaporeans.

Anonymous said...

@ AnonymousAugust 13, 2015 9:26 a.m.
####### I really admire PAP in the early days. Ministers worked for the common good of the people and are humble. You can see them rolling up their sleeves to work along the citizens. No pretence. Just sincere to inspire people.

Now, PAP is no more attractive and respective, so to speak. There is no connection between "them" and "us".#######


Many aristocrats stay in at least 15,000 sq ft good class bungalows in district 10 holland, bt timah, tanglin areas etc

Can YEW imagine how they feel when they drive into dilapidated run down poor estates like redhill, telok Blangah, low delta etc 1, 2 or 3 room flats HDB areas?

For that matter, any hdb housing estate will be too low class for them. Thats why how often YEW see your incumbent MPs for the past 4 years?

When they are living in.opulence everyday with maids running around their luxurious mansions to pander to their every need, what makes YEW think they are even one bit connected to the poor peasants and can and know how to improve their livelihoods?

Anonymous said...

"Can YEW imagine how they feel when they drive into dilapidated run down poor estates like redhill, telok Blangah, low delta etc 1, 2 or 3 room flats HDB areas?"
August 13, 2015 9:50 a.m.

But still the stupid Singaporeans living in the "dilapidated run down poor estates like redhill, telok Blangah, low delta etc 1, 2 or 3 room flats HDB areas"
- they still want to vote for these PAP Millionaires to represent them in parliament

Singaporeans are just plain stupid.
And my Pinoy friends are correct in telling me this.
Pinoys will never vote for a politician that does not work to benefit them.
You benefit me, then I vote for you.
If you don't get me a job, why should I vote for you and your million dollar salary?

Anonymous said...

The fake foreign talents are very good at branding with their fake degrees.

Anonymous said...

In its heydays, putting a PAP badge on a dog would also get the dog elected. Has this changed?
RB

No. It will not change as long as the Sinkie opposition is not ready to be govt, and hence majority (aka 60%) are very scared to accidentally vote PAP out in the coming election. Don't believe, just ask WP Teochew Ah Hia who said this. He is also the best qualified to say it.

Anonymous said...

The PAP elites live a life of luxury. They do not care whether the HDB dwellers are happy or otherwise. When they get voted in after each GE hustings, they disappear into their luxurious bungalows only to emerge for another hustings for the next GE. Stupid Singaporeans will again vote for them, after they are bribed by crumbs from the PAP table. Nothing will change. GE2015 will result in another batch of mindless nodding donkeys toeing party line whether they agree or not. Nothing will change.

Anonymous said...

That is why they only need to do it part time.

Anonymous said...

Heng Chee How just said, "We must reflect on Mr. Lee legacy".
Can't they just leave him alone...can't even die, the reliance is overwhelming, with so many freaking issue....they just have to make that referral.

Anonymous said...

"Heng Chee How just said, "We must reflect on Mr. Lee legacy"."

This bunch of useless nodding white parrots & donkeys in parliament.
They don't have one shred of original thinking beyond LKY's Hard Truths among the whole lot of them.
LKY left us with a bunch of unsolved problems;
- high Singaporean unemployment
- a very expensive and bloated PAP government and civil service
- too many Aliens
- a broken down MRT
- an NEA that is unable to control our rat population
- the list seems endless

And all these PAP Millionaires can say is we must reflect on Mr Lee's legacy?
What the fuck?
Vote out the useless bums and leeches.


patriot said...

The Horrible Man is being used to haunt the People.

It is fair for him to claim back his PAP and Sin.

He was the Father of Both. Was he not?

patriot

Anonymous said...

Another LKY legacy?
- overcrowded hospitals
- long waiting list for nursing homes