Brand Canada on the 2011 Election Campaign Trail

Canada ~ we’re not engaged in an election campaign. It’s a brand campaign… and to my chagrin the Conservatives are winning.

Hello, Mr. Harper… this is the Hudson Bay Company, could you please return all of our Canadian Olympic wear? Does anyone else feel like our Prime Minister has scoured his closet for every piece of “Own the Podium” wear he could find? Every day on the election trail there it is emblazoned on his chest C-A-N-A-D-A. Tired of their old brand, the Conservatives have sidelined Tory blue for the most in favour of the Team Canada brand brought to you by HBC. It’s maddening, but it’s clever. Harper looks comfortable, while his competitors look aghast that this guy is still winning. He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing (look at him eye up that cow) … with brand Canada everywhere you look. If he’s not wearing HBC clothing, then it’s an HBC-inspired CANADA on the podium or on the logo field behind him. It’s on the freakin’ Conservative campaign plane’s jet engine. Indeed, “Here for Canada”?

Where are the Liberals with their brand? It appears they’re using the very tired Pepsi Challenge format. Coke versus Pepsi; Conservative versus Liberals. It’s us versus them. Based on the poles to date, the electorate is saying who cares? You’re selling the same product! The problem is the Liberals have done very little to differentiate themselves from the Conservatives. It’s not enough to scare us into voting for the lesser of two evils. It’s time for the Liberals to demonstrate real leadership and some vision for the country. I’m not sold it’s going to come from Michael Ignatieff, nor are most voters. His personal brand has been under attack every day since I can remember and he just takes it. If he can’t stand up for himself, how is supposed to stand up for the country. Get pissed off!

And, what about the poor plucky NDP? It’s time to blow up the brand and give more reason than the usual 17-20% of Canadians to vote for you. It’s time to steal a page from the British Labour Party’s playbook when Tony Blair swept into power. It’s time to stop bashing business for the sake of bashing business. I shoot left, I bat left, but a left-winger will never rule this country. Centre is where you have to be and the NDP is doomed to “also ran” status until its stalwarts adopt a new playbook. It’s not enough to have the most likeable or genuine leader (e.g. Broadbent, Rae, Layton). It’s time to blow it up to compete.

And, what about the Bloc? Can’t we find Gilles Duceppe a new job somewhere in Quebec? Less and less relevant, it’s time to turn out the lights on this party.

Thank you.