Aussie Voters Pin Sco-Mo As A Ford, And Shorten As A Tesla
In the lead-up to Saturday’s election, Landor was curious to determine which brands voters most associated with our two leaders. It turns out ScoMo’s values are most closely associated with Ford and Shorten is more of a Tesla sort of guy. Hear why from Landor’s APAC president, Nick Foley (below image).
From many aspects, brands are just like people. In the same way that our minds subconsciously select values and attributes in those that we want to be friends with, a similar process occurs when deciding which brands to engage with.
With this in mind, we were curious to determine which brands voters in the upcoming federal election most associated our two leaders with.
Our commissioned research looked at ten different categories, to which we overlaid the primary data collected with global research from Landor’s proprietary research tool, BAV (Brand Asset Valuator).*
The results of the study provide a useful insight into how each leader is perceived based on the brands either the PM or the leader of the opposition are associated with. One of the hot topics in the 2019 election is climate change.
Whilst some in the Liberal party are reluctant to acknowledge the warming of the planet, the ALP has put aside memories of pink bats from 2009 and has consistently campaigned on the need to work towards a cleaner future.
The majority of respondents in the survey attributed the PM with the Ford brand, whilst Bill Shorten was linked to Tesla.
The results are not that surprising given the PM’s penchant for brandishing lumps of coal and attending V8 car races at Bathurst. Although, the BAV data paints a mixed picture for the government. BAV data reveals that Tesla ranks much higher on differentiation and is held in higher esteem than Ford.
Conversely, Ford has much higher relevance amongst consumers and they also have a greater knowledge of Ford than they do Tesla. The correlations with the leadership candidates are not only interesting but valuable when one considers how voters often make a link between policy and personality. As well as looking at car brands the study assessed the leaders across a range of other product categories.
With regards to tech brands, it’s not quite a case of Sco-Mo being a PC and Bill being a Mac, but it’s close. The links with Microsoft and Huawei are not anything negative, however, it does indicate that the PM enjoys broad appeal when seen in the context of a power brand like Microsoft. Huawei is still a relatively new brand in Australia and is seen as a ‘different brand’ with strong links to China.
The benefit of overlaying the Landor Australian research with the BAV brand data is that it provides a unique insight into where each politician may be ‘leading’ and where they could be ‘lagging’. Using the BAV construct, brands that have ‘leading’ attributes are marked high on ‘relevance’ and ‘differentiation’. Whereas brands scoring high on ‘esteem’ and ‘knowledge’ are typically well-established brands that are often in a mature phase of the product lifecycle and benefit from higher levels of trust.
Our brand study of Australian voters in this weekend’s federal election reveals that the PM enjoys a high attribution to brands like Ford, Microsoft, RM Williams and XXXX Gold. For the Liberal camp this suggests that Scott Morrison has a broad appeal with voters and is widely trusted by the electorate.
Bill Shorten and his advisors can view the research positively due to the differentiation some of the brands the opposition leader is associated with. By being attributed with brands like Huawei and Tesla, it appears Shorten is being rewarded for taking a lead on issues like climate change and forging stronger relations with China. Both of these issues are key points of difference between the government and the opposition and this is reflected in the survey results.
Other categories the study assessed included fast food, sport, fashion, airlines, telcos, banks and media companies. In the majority of responses, we saw there was a difference between Morrison and Shorten. According to the research, Bill’s a VB sort of a bloke whilst Scomo’s more a XXXX Gold kind of a guy. If the PM was a fast-food brand it would be Grill’d whilst the opposition leader would be Maccas.
The categories where the two leaders were most similar were banks, telcos and airlines. This is not entirely surprising. It wasn’t that long ago that the government owned Qantas, The Commonwealth Bank and Telstra.
If either the Liberal party or the ALP were looking for any signs from this research, it would be this. Great brands stand for something whilst never standing still. They are nimble to risk and responsive to opportunity. To succeed in the long term, great brands are designed for change. Future focused. Ever evolving. Such brands connect at a higher level and evoke emotion rather than reiterating facts. Striking the balance between relevance, differentiation, esteem and knowledge requires a deft touch.
The attribution of brands to the PM and opposition leader indicate that Morrison is held in reasonable esteem and has the appropriate level of relevance. These factors are less apparent for Shorten.
However, Shorten’s attribution to brands that are different and new aligns with persona that is restless and looking to move the agenda forward. In this case, the leaders are personal brands. On Saturday voters will have the choice between two personal brands.
Brand ScoMo is fairly established and voters have a solid knowledge of what he stands for. Brand Shorten is less understood, but the corollary of indicators suggest he is the more exciting brand to know.
Latest News
The Mars Agency Announces Latest Findings Of Retail Media Report Card
The Mars Agency has developed a scorecard that assesses the capabilities of leading platforms across key criteria required to optimally plan, execute, and measure effective retail media programs. The scorecard aims To help brands efficiently evaluate their spending options across retail media networks in Australia (and New Zealand). With spending on retail media advertising in […]
‘It’s The Lesser Of Two Evils’ – NRL Eyes US Betting Market As Aussie Regulators Circle
US betting firms will be delighted by the circa 50,000 Americans who could soon watch the NRL on their favourite app.
A-League In Deep Discussions With New Partner To Keep Games On TV After Production Company Enters Administration
The A-League's insatiable appetite for scoring own goals continues.
TV Ratings (27/03/2024): Jungle Members At War Over Concealed Lipstick
A heated argument between two jungle members did the numbers for Ten last night, with I’m A Celeb obtaining a total national reach of 1,282,000. Fans were delighted as Candice Warner and influencer Skye Wheatley got into it over a stick of lipstick, leading Warner to dub the Instagram star “selfish.” Wheatley, best known for […]
Is The Australian Music Industry In Trouble? Inquiry Launched Following Splendour Cancellation
Earlier this week, an inquiry was launched into the challenges and opportunities currently facing the Australian live music industry in the wake of multiple festival cancellations. On 25 March 2024, the Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Tony Burke MP, asked the Committee on Communications and the Arts to inquire into and report on the […]
Liana Dubois, Leandro Perez, Aimee Buchanan & More Gather For Inaugural Compadres Leadership Event
Didn't get the invite? Perhaps you're not as important as you thought.
Cathay Captures The Unforgettable Thrill Of Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, Via Publicis
Nobody does rugby like Hong Kong, apparently. Certainly nobody does it as badly as Australia.
Cocogun Nabs Christine Watts, Kirsty Reynolds & Shev Tan Bolstering Management & Creative Teams
Cocogun bolsters its team with new hires. Committed to purchasing a bigger sofa, too.
The Media Store’s Jacquie Alley & Sam Cousins Take The Plunge With Pro-Bono Work For Cure Cancer
B&T chats with The Media Store bosses about their great pro-bono work and sponsored swim.
Hawke’s Brewing Co. Taps Rocket Comms For PR Agency Following Competitive Pitch
We're expecting Rocket Comms productivity to crash in spectacular fashion following this win.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Patties Serves Up A Taste Of Home For Olympians & South Sydney Rabbitohs Recommit To Gambling Reform
While the Rabbitohs commits to gambling reform, B&T reckons the team should commit to a decent auto sponsor.
Google: “Inevitable” That Bad Actors Will Abuse Ads Platform As Advertiser Account Suspensions Double
Google maintains it's simply impossible for it to entirely stop bad people placing & paying for ads using its service.
Quantcast Expands APAC Sales Team With Appointment Of News Corp Account Manager
No pressure at all when you are appointed as a client success manager.
Publicis Sapient Tests Microsoft-Powered Gen AI Search Tool With Homes & Villas By Marriott Bonvoy
Given Gen AI's record for mangling stuff, B&T cannot see the problem with letting it decide your next holiday digs.
Volkswagen & DDB Group’s “Roo Badge” To Reduce Kangaroo Related Road Collisions
Watch out for RooBadge as Cannes Lions' most debated campaign this year.
Twilio Launches Unified Profiles & Agent Copilot Features To Boost Productivity & Engagement
Agent Copilot sounds like James Bond's less interesting cousin.
Reebok & Honda Among New Clients For onetwo agency
OneTwo finally lives up to its name with this double billing.
Ogilvy Report: Throw Out The Social Strategy Rule Book, The Rules Of The Past No Longer Apply
B&T was puzzled that all 'influencers' aren't, effectively, 'virtual', but here we are.
WhiteGREY & AKQA Merge In Australia, Lee Simpson Departs
Fortunately, the combined agencies aren't opting for a trite portmanteau for the new name.
Splendour In The Grass 2024 Music Festival Cancelled!
Music fans all over the country reportedly relieved they can pack away their rain coats and gumboots for another year.
TV Ratings (26/03/2024): “Fairy Bread, F***ing Disgusting”: Gordon Ramsay Slams Aussie Food In Food Stars Launch
Ramsay not one for mincing his words, even when it comes to minced meat pies.
Paramount+ International Boss Doubles Down On Aussie Content, Says Ad-Tier will Grow Audiences And Revenue
Good news as Paramount will not be binning I’m A Celebrity for re-runs of Frasier.
Brent Smart: Telstra Pushing For 50-50 Brand-Performance Split But Warns Numbers ‘Won’t Look Great’ Initially
The old brand vs performance debate continues. But here, Brent is firmly sitting on the fence.
Crowded House, Tones And I & Dom Dolla Win Big At The Shure Rolling Stone Music Awards
B&T staffer reports back with humdinger of a hangover & feeling seriously uncool after mixing with music types.
Opinion: Dyslexia “A Hidden Gem” For Brands & Agencies
Dyslexics offer underappreciated benefits in the corporate field, according to this op-ed.
David Jones Taps Criteo To Power Online Retail Media Arm
Want to see ads for things you probably can't afford? David Jones has got you covered with new retail media play.
oOh!media Sets Up Team To Target Business Audiences Across Airports & Offices
oOh! wants brands to harass you every minute of your next business trip.
QMS Launches Australian First DOOH & TV Partnership With Samba TV
Samba TV, of course, is not a channel dedicated to dancing. Much to our dismany.
Slew Of New Hires At Amplify
Four new faces join the Amplify offices. Team say desk scarcity becoming "acute".
Adobe Announces Content Authenticity Initiative Expansions To Counter Deep Fakes
Try as they might to enlighten them, we suspect Trump supporters will continue to watch and believe Fox News.
The PR Group Appoints TechCrunch Senior Reporter Catherine Shu As Director Of Content & Media
Catherine Shu makes the bold leap from journalism to PR. Says inevitable pay bump was "unrelated".
HERO Nabs Ebony Santin From AMPR
Rumours Santin cleared out the stationery cupboard before departing are as yet unconfirmed.
Karena Noble Checks Out Of EVT Hotels & Resorts To Launch Comms Consultancy
Noble still managed to squeezed in a continental breakfast before departing.
Canva Acquires Design Platform Affinity To Bring Professional Design Tools To Every Organisation
Canva & Adobe face off continues. We're not picking sides but keenly aware that Canva's office is next door to ours.
“Lean On Our Team To Help You Find An Audience”: Why Understanding Audience Engagement Is Essential In Journalism
Engaging the audience is critical to journos, apparently. We'd thought self-loathing & alcoholism were key.
Adobe Summit: Major Gen AI Developments, Data Concessions & Partnerships
What happens in Vegas stays there. Unless it's the Adobe Summit and then you get to read about in B&T.