Brand Obama vrs. Brand Romney

I wonder if President Obama will win a second term if so it will be largely won by the middle class. Of course it is all about branding and optics. Lately GOP candidate Mitt Romney has had a more than a few gaffes. The latest saying that he isn't worried about poor people because they have a
safety net, even though he is supposed to be about not having big government. Also how he is "unemployed" even though he is a millionaire many time over "Yeah, right Mitt you can really relate to those Americans facing unemployement" I am stuck also about how none of these candidates are speaking about what they would do about unemployment, the housing crisis, or the college debt that many students are burdened with after college. Of course I am a believe that the issues facing this country you really don't know anything about until you actually do get into office.
Of course foreign policy is another thing you never hear them talk about what would they do with Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Global Warming, or Nuclear Disarmament? I am sure that President Obama had no idea of the seriousness of the financial crisis until after he got into office. You simply cannot know these things until you get into office. Then all the secrets come out and you are left with very complex interwoven realities.

Serving Up A Good Cosmopolitan Brand At The World's Table.

The world is moving toward Cosmopolitan branding. Cosmopolitan comes from the Greek word kosmos or cosmos meaning world. If there is one thing that unifies all people everywhere it is the food we eat and the beverages we drink. All you have to do is look at the popularity of shows like Food Network www.foodnetwork.com or Anthony Bourdain of the Travel Channel www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Anthony_Bourdain to see that people enjoy a fascinated with food worldwide. We eat. We drink. We are the world. In a recent white paper for brandchannel.com titled "The Coming Cosmopolitan Brands" www.brandchannel.com/images/papers/495_CosmopolitanBrands_4.pdf I covered how Food and Beverage companies such as Frito-Lay's Sun Chips, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, and Starbucks Coffee are brands, amongst others, that are taking leadership roles on being good sustainable brands that look to serve humanity. Brands have tremendous power to influence behaviors of people globally. They can literally be bridges of communication over which people and brands share a universal vision for a better world for everyone.

In the recent catastrophic earthquake in Haiti we can see how food and beverage brands like Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods, Uniler, Yum! responded to the desperate humanitarian cries for help. It is examples like these that open up what Cosmopolitan branding can reach out and become not just in times of humanitarian crisis but as an ongoing dialogue with the citizens of the world. Creating a Cosmopolitan brand is no longer confined to brand and marketing departments it is now opened up to input from the very people buying your product.

"Brands that engage in social purpose can do more than just stand out in the marketplace," said Mitch Markson, president of Edelman's Global Consumer Brands practice and founder of Goodpurpose(TM) www.goodpurposecommunity.com. "They can bring 'double value' to their customers, who get a product they want, plus support for a cause they believe in. Since 58% of consumers globally think it's OK for brands to support good causes and make money at the same time, marrying profits and purpose may prove to be a powerful strategy during these harsh economic times." There is also a new term that is being used to replace the old ROI which was "Return On Investment". The 21st century version of this is ROI "Return On Involvement".

Doing good in the world always comes back to your brand many times over.

Brand "We" and the Dalai Lama

In a recent interview with Fareed Zakaria the Dalai Lama sees the concept of "they" no longer relevant in the world. He expressed it this way, " The sense of concern of other human beings, other beings also part of humanity. So the reality, we are all just one. So very constant, we and they. So I think I feel the concept of "they" is no longer relevant. We must consider all human beings part of "we" and then whenever a conflict different interests come.

What is the relevance of this message from 14^th Dalai Lama to today's brands? If the concept of "they", is no longer relevant, then how do brands fit into the newer concept of "We". Brands that get the concept of "We" operate from a much more universal, unifying, and cosmopolitan perspective. This is the new role model for brands. Through the "We" concept brands can take on an expanded role in helping people connect, break down barriers, open up communication, and build trust. Because our global societies are run on the exchange of goods and services brands, even more than governments, could lead the way in adopting this new global "We" concept. All the while serving with excellent well thought through sustainable behaviors and practices that are purposeful and maybe even create more joy in the world.

The Dalai Lama embodies the concept of a "We" brand. He knows that the world is not perfect, that humans have much to learn to dissolve the concept of "they". Yet because of his wider perspective and great humanity, humility, and hope he is able to see this coming horizon. As he walks towards it he keeps a spirit of lightness and smiles and laughs often.

Which is also a lesson for "We" brands, keep it light.

Cosmopolitanism & Branding

There is a new movement afoot called cosmopolitanism that will take brands into a deeper context than simply globalization. It is the next wave in branding based on the Greek word kosmos or cosmos meaning world. To be a cosmopolitan brand means that there is understanding of the interconnectedness of everything, and the ability to see humanity as the one unifying principal that brands can be guided by, and chose to answer to with their actions now and into the future.

In 12^th post on my Goodbye/Hello blog called Cosmopolitan Branding (link to come) on Huffington Post I wrote about how this new brand philosophy has the potential to

to totally shift the context for brands. In my post there is a link to a very good article called, Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism by Policy Innovations an online publication of the Carnegie Council ,in it Noah Bopp, the director of the School for Ethics and Global Leadership teaches his students, how global interconnectedness and many choices determine brand ethics, by using a Hershey's Kiss as an example. The article lays out the principles of cosmopolitanism from many different angles. It is well worth reading and considering for any brand looking to build more sustainable, humane, and dynamic future.

Cosmopolitan Branding is a bold step in that it asks brands to consider the consequences of their policies, behaviors, and actions as it relates to humanity at large. It will take influential leaders to raise up and guide a brand to the level of reflection necessary to be both a great and good brand.

How The Clerics In Iran Show Brands The Power Of Transparency And Truth

If there is one thing that seems to be getting clearer and clearer in the world it is that people everywhere are wanting to be free, to be transparently informed, to be connected, and to be open to new ideas. People want this in all aspects of their lives and even in their brands.

In my 11th post on my Goodbye/Hello blog http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patt-cottingham/goodbyehello-11-irans-cle_b_226277.html on Huffinton Post I wrote about the clerics of Qum in Iran who recently issued a statement siding with the Iranian's of the opposition movement and Moussavi, calling the new government illegitimate. The will of the people, association of clerics, and the reform movement of Mir Hussein Mossavi tests the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's power and President Ahmadinejad's legitimacy. Now of course there are those in Iran who believe that Ahmadinejad won the election fair and square. Yet for those who challenge the election outcome it shows a strong powerful current for at the very least transparency. Those clerics of Iran who have sided with the opposition are looking to sustain a brighter Iran throught the love of truth.

What can the clerics in Iran teach brands about loving transparency and truth? People by nature respond to truth because it appeals to their higher selves. In Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of "acceptance of facts or truth" is in the top most tier of Self-Actualization. Brands that reach this level of self-actualization are brands that are truthful, fair minded, ethical, know how to resolve problems, are hightly creative, and enjoy a light hearted perspective. Brands can either mirror the society around them or compel people to evolve their behaviors to be far more altruistic. As we move move into a global society brands, like Iran's clerics of Qum, can help us by appealing to our higher human need for the love of truth and transparency. Lessons about branding can come from the most unlikely of places.