This weekend column is brought to you by the founders of Niceties Tokens, Liz and Pete of Team Nice.
19. Spinning
Argh! No wonder there is apathy. At the time of writing this, a general election is still undecided, although if Gordon Brown goes ahead with it, it could lead to a really exciting time. They are going to really be schmoozing us lot, as our demographic are least likely to vote.
In preparation for this, some of the biggest names in advertising have been roped in to prepare for the battle of the spinning tops.
So it really is all about brand Labour and brand Tory – nothing about the actual product?
We buy our cleaning products and canned food on the basis of the attributes we attach to the brand. The brand manager of that product will try and influence those attributes, by getting the product associated with good causes, using certain images or delivering certain messages.
But hang on! When you buy a tub of Flora in the supermarket, every ingredient (largest first) is listed on that product, and on the front there is little panel that will tell you how much fat and salt is in a serving. You are, by law, supplied with all this information so that you can make the right 89p purchase. But where are our easy-to-read labels when it comes to politics?
And actually, because it is so much about spin and marketing – not the product, the Tories could win the general election because David Cameron can deliver a speech without an autocue and because it was good weather in Blackpool.
What?
Yes! I know – chicken oriental init!?
Quoted from Saturday’s Guardian…
David Cameron's speech: The Tory leader broke through public scepticism about his character by speaking for an hour without notes – a fact that was important as anything he said. The Guardian/ICM poll in its wake produced a Labour-Tory tie. Before he spoke, Labour was leading.
The mood in Blackpool: Sunshine lifted Tory spirits and brought a holiday atmosphere. Young activists in open-necked shirts and sharp suits mixed with traditional Tories in twinsets at a conference that unexpectedly engaged with Cameron's agenda, rather than resisted it.
This weeks niceness
It was a bit warm so we fanned people on the tube…
By Liz Akers
