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Articles

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2018)

Branding the President: An Investigation into the Manipulative Tactics Embedded within a Candidate's Brand Identity

Submitted
January 12, 2018
Published
2018-04-20

Abstract

This paper examines the extent to which manipulative tactics are embedded within a political actor’s brand identity. This exploration helps to assess the relationship dynamics of two co-existing concepts, branding and rhetoric, centring on the power of words. A multi-tiered investigative procedure was created to examine the link between the brand identity and the rhetorical features, metaphor and mythology. A mixed-method research approach was followed, assessing six speech transcripts through a two-level content analysis. Combining coding from Scammell’s (2007) Model of Brand Distinctiveness, with a rhetorical analysis of metaphoric and mythological themes, the research provided both statistical and descriptive findings illustrating the strategies of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton during the 2016 U.S presidential elections. The results identified clear disparities between Trump’s and Clinton’s brand distinctiveness, highlighting the strength of Trump’s brand identity.  The study further revealed an overwhelming presence of rhetorical techniques embedded within both candidates’ brand identity.Political branding, brand identity, image, rhetoric, metaphor, myth

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