Exploring the Political Co-Brand Image & Positioning from External Stakeholder’s Perspective in Pakistan

Abstract

This qualitative study responds to explicit calls for further research and explores the political co-brand management, positioning and negative image transference between the co-brand and the corporate brand. This study highlights the importance of management/creation of co-brand image in the post-election context from the external stakeholders’ perspective, in Pakistan. It evaluates the transfer potential of the Political Co-brand Identity Framework by exploring and examining the co-brand image and the political co-brand positioning in a post-election context. In this way, this study intends to assess the applicability of the Political Co-brand Identity Framework as a tool to assess the image and positioning of political brands from an external perspective. The sample comprises of political analysts/academics. The findings would guide in examining areas which can strengthen political stability, reliability of political brands and build political trust. The study offers important insight for practitioners, researchers, and public policy makers whose concern is to develop marketing strategies and diagnose political co-brand image alignment by comparing desired and actual positioning.

Keywords:

• Political co-brand
• brand image
• brand positioning
• communication

Notes

1 Pakistan Bureau of Statistics: Area, Population, Density and Urban/Rural Proportion. More details can be found at: http://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/area-population-density-and-urbanrural-proportion

2 This figure is given by Farooq, M. (2018, April 26). Economic Survey 2017-18: People living below poverty line plunge to 24.3pc. Pakistan Today Profit. Accessed from: https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/04/26/pakistans-percentage-of-people-living-below-poverty-line-falls-to-24-3-percent-economic-survey-2018/

3 Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was a Pakistani politician who served Pakistan in the Capacity of the President of Pakistan (1971 -1973) and as the Prime Minister of Pakistan (1973 to 1977). He founded Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which is considered as one of the major political brands in Pakistan. Benazir Bhutto was his daughter who also served twice as prime minister. More details can be found at: https://historypak.com/zulfiqar-ali-bhutto-1928-1979-2/

4 Zaat-Baradari refers to kin group here. Kin group based on caste affiliation.