Political Brands: Fred Thompson
Maybe it's me and the fact that I am, despite all my protests, getting old. Then again, maybe it's the dumbing down of America that's getting to me. Maybe it's both. But when I see the sorry lot of candidates running to become the leader of the free world, a shiver runs down my spine.
None of the candidates - Republican, Democrat or any life form in between - seems to have the brains of a bat when it comes to leadership. All of them seem to dismiss the notion that a leader is someone who leads, not panders. That's because my generation was the last to experience what following real leaders was like.
And believe me, it was a lot different than it is now.
People older than myself lament the loss of leadership by reciting a roll call of personalities from the Second World War. They'll talk about Roosevelt, DeGaulle, Chuchill -- and to some extent, Hitler and Mussolini. Sure, the latter two weren't exactly movie idol favorites, but each managed (mainly through sheer force) to drive their countries in new directions. It's just that the Axis powers were driven in the wrong direction.
In more recent American history, you hear the name Kennedy (John, not Robert or Teddy) bandied about as one of the last great leaders and no matter what your politics, you'd have to admit he was. JFK took bold moves, issued strong challenges and moved the country forward -- even while women were running naked through the White House.
The last great American leader, however, was Ronald Reagan. Forget his politics, for now. Focus on the last persona old enough to play the role of father to a massive, aging baby boomer population. You can say what you like about Ronald Reagan, but you can't take away his ability to inspire comfort, calm and assuredness to millions of Americans and foreigners alike.
If you don't remember his election, let me remind you that when Reagan took office, Jimmy Carter had driven interest rates up sky high (over 20%) and driven America's international image into the ground. By the time Reagan was into his second term, all of Carter's damage had been undone and then some: Soviet communism disintegrated without one shot being fired -- and this from the president whose detractors considered the most likely to push the button.
Not bad results for a clearly defined brand strategy.
Reagan's brand strategy -- like all good leaders -- was communicated effectively. And that's a big part of what great leaders do. John Kennedy made his visions clear, resulting in the country (and the world) following. Reagan tapped into the concerns of Americans, communicated them effectively and the world followed him, too.
Which brings us to Fred Thompson, a man -- like Reagan -- presumably with little in the way of traditional Presidential qualifications but whose communication qualities appear unrivaled. Take this 30 second piece for example:
Remind you of anyone? The toe-in-the-dirt, aw-shucks-folks-it's-so-simple approach designed to address American aspirations, hopes and dreams? There's a reason why Fred Thompson strikes such a major chord with so many Americans. And while his brand is never really articulated, it's his intuitive anti-branding that makes him so effective. Public relations people and competitive campaign advisors will snivel that Thompson's recurring role on Law and Order form the basis of his campaign power. Sure, it helps. But that's not what's going on here.
Thompson's ability to reach through the tube and not be like every other blowhard is what touches people. He never yells. He has no pretty boy looks. He just eases back and lets the voters discover his authority instead of hammering it into them, the same way DeForest Kelley did as Star Trek's Dr. McCoy when he protested on some distant planet in the future, "I may be just an old country doctor......" What Thompson projects is calm, credible, authoritative wisdom -- a quality totally lacking in his competitors. And he does it pretty well.
The question now is whether the actor has any idea that the role for which he's auditioning has real life consequences.
None of the candidates - Republican, Democrat or any life form in between - seems to have the brains of a bat when it comes to leadership. All of them seem to dismiss the notion that a leader is someone who leads, not panders. That's because my generation was the last to experience what following real leaders was like.
And believe me, it was a lot different than it is now.
People older than myself lament the loss of leadership by reciting a roll call of personalities from the Second World War. They'll talk about Roosevelt, DeGaulle, Chuchill -- and to some extent, Hitler and Mussolini. Sure, the latter two weren't exactly movie idol favorites, but each managed (mainly through sheer force) to drive their countries in new directions. It's just that the Axis powers were driven in the wrong direction.
In more recent American history, you hear the name Kennedy (John, not Robert or Teddy) bandied about as one of the last great leaders and no matter what your politics, you'd have to admit he was. JFK took bold moves, issued strong challenges and moved the country forward -- even while women were running naked through the White House.
The last great American leader, however, was Ronald Reagan. Forget his politics, for now. Focus on the last persona old enough to play the role of father to a massive, aging baby boomer population. You can say what you like about Ronald Reagan, but you can't take away his ability to inspire comfort, calm and assuredness to millions of Americans and foreigners alike.
If you don't remember his election, let me remind you that when Reagan took office, Jimmy Carter had driven interest rates up sky high (over 20%) and driven America's international image into the ground. By the time Reagan was into his second term, all of Carter's damage had been undone and then some: Soviet communism disintegrated without one shot being fired -- and this from the president whose detractors considered the most likely to push the button.
Not bad results for a clearly defined brand strategy.
Reagan's brand strategy -- like all good leaders -- was communicated effectively. And that's a big part of what great leaders do. John Kennedy made his visions clear, resulting in the country (and the world) following. Reagan tapped into the concerns of Americans, communicated them effectively and the world followed him, too.
Which brings us to Fred Thompson, a man -- like Reagan -- presumably with little in the way of traditional Presidential qualifications but whose communication qualities appear unrivaled. Take this 30 second piece for example:
Remind you of anyone? The toe-in-the-dirt, aw-shucks-folks-it's-so-simple approach designed to address American aspirations, hopes and dreams? There's a reason why Fred Thompson strikes such a major chord with so many Americans. And while his brand is never really articulated, it's his intuitive anti-branding that makes him so effective. Public relations people and competitive campaign advisors will snivel that Thompson's recurring role on Law and Order form the basis of his campaign power. Sure, it helps. But that's not what's going on here.
Thompson's ability to reach through the tube and not be like every other blowhard is what touches people. He never yells. He has no pretty boy looks. He just eases back and lets the voters discover his authority instead of hammering it into them, the same way DeForest Kelley did as Star Trek's Dr. McCoy when he protested on some distant planet in the future, "I may be just an old country doctor......" What Thompson projects is calm, credible, authoritative wisdom -- a quality totally lacking in his competitors. And he does it pretty well.
The question now is whether the actor has any idea that the role for which he's auditioning has real life consequences.
posted by Rob Frankel at 5:07 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home