Politicians & Brand Image

New Semester and new ideas! As you have probably already noticed; a new 'portugalitics' layout has been updated. As a matter a fact; lately I have been working on 'analyzing the concept of Nation Brand' and searched its impact in political marketing. Therefore, got a bit of a 'redesign blog image' urge myself! What do you think?

Simon Anholt a regular lecturer in the area of Nation Brand and a foreign policy and image specialist, introduces some fresh aspects in his keynote speech in the European Parliament down below. According to Mr. Anholt "a politician is as much a brand image manager these days as a policy maker". Indeed. However, as it seems the portuguese,- dare I say it, have underestimated their voters in terms of social media and its powers. The stigma of not taken seriously during a financial crises in case someone tweets about it, still haunts vividly. You see, taking care of one's image through social media eats creditability in the portuguese culture. This is interesting, since in Northern Europe, tweeting or blogging  are keenly used instruments to present ideas. In other words, to promote image even if its during the euro crisis.

If it's all about getting closer to your voters, I don't see what could possible be the issue here.

Money talks and bullshit walks

So the election campaining can be set aside for the next four years in the portuguese localities. The leaf lets have been passed on among the electoral souveniers like calendars; umbrellas; pencils; pens; keychains and numerous concerts and facebook campain later; here we are with the results.

The four main parties CDS-PP (democratic centre party, a.k.a conservative party: PSD (social democrats)  and PS (socialist party) and CDU (coalition between the Communist Party and the Greens) visibly campaigned on behalf of their principles.

So it was the Socialist Party who claimed the victory and protest votes of the portuguese against  PM Coelhos’s government, however, unknowing it wouldn’t change its course.

I’m having some trouble believing in the democracy of these elections not only because of the system itself, (for which I get back to in the end) but for fact that all parties seem to have a drastic budget difference in their election campaing. PSD and PS both have some serious money used. Looking at their budget for a financially struggling Portugal even for these elections seems quite absurd. Not to mention, there is never a fair playground to start with towards a new commers or other smaller parties. Locally, we can disscuss a difference of tens of thousands of euros. Therefore, money talks and you know what may walk. There is no price roof for a campaign budget. Shouldn’t there be?

  However, there is one silverlining and a winner; Mr. Rui Moreira, who ran for The Porto city Mayor’s office independantly and won.  Since the biggest Parties tend to be under the power wing of Porto’s corporate world, -some might say it was a bit of a miracle to get in the top three, not to mention to win. 

Well, now we no know the results. Time will tell who can actually get their hands dirty of the actual work as majority of portuguese localities enjoy a great deficit to fix. And I really mean concretely get their hands dirty.

I’ld wish to see a great example like this italian small town mayor Giuseppe Figoni, who has managed to save money by doing the gutters himself ans fixing road signs etc. It doesn’t keep money circuling by outsoarcing services but as an only mayor in the whole of italy has managed to save money. 

 video about Mr. Figoni, click here

Back to the Portuguese electoral playground; as a foreigner the whole point of any democratical elections here seems absurd since nobody (other than presidential elections) votes for a person, instead you vote for a party. A political party then agrees amongst its members who gets in and who stays out.

To sum- up, actual change will not arrive to Portugal before a new constitution; taxation reform and new electoral system; where democracy is held by letting people to choose and vote for a real candidate other than a party unknowing who is going to lead them on for the next four years. Unfortunately, this won’t still happen at least for few more years to come.