Is Bush a Ford and Kerry a BMW?

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Monday, August 30, 2004 | BRIAN STEINBERG

[presidio9]

It's no startling insight to point out that presidential candidates sell themselves as if they were breakfast cereal or laundry detergent. So it was perhaps inevitable that this would be taken a step further by studying consumers ... er, voters ... along these same lines.

Accordingly, a new survey asked respondents to define the candidates in terms of popular advertising brands.

Bush supporters, for example, think Mr. Bush is Bud Light and Mr. Kerry is Heineken. Kerry backers see Mr. Bush as IBM and Mr. Kerry as Dell.

The study, conducted jointly by WPP Group's Landor branding consultancy and Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, a market-research company that works for political -- usually Democratic -- campaigns, seems to reflect the obvious attributes of the president's incumbency: Mr. Bush is like a "well-known leadership brand" and Mr. Kerry a "lesser-known challenger brand." Winning over undecided voters could depend on managing these two "critical points of differentiation," according to the survey's findings.

It also depends on where you like to go for breakfast. Undecided voters see Mr. Bush as Dunkin' Donuts and Mr. Kerry as Starbucks. Lunch? Mr. Bush is McDonald's; Mr. Kerry is Subway to the undecideds. Reading material? Undecided voters link Mr. Bush to Business Week and Mr. Kerry with People.

These undecideds, like the Bush supporters, see Mr. Bush as a Ford, Mr. Kerry as a BMW. They also think Mr. Bush is IBM while Mr. Kerry is Apple Computer. Oddly, Mr. Bush is linked by undecideds to Sam Adams from Boston Beer, in Mr. Kerry's backyard.

Mr. Bush's brands are seen as "ol' reliables" that some voters may associate with being outdated or unwilling to change, according to the survey. At the same time, those brands are eminently dependable.

[aruanan]

OOOOOH...how did you get that "umlat" over the "e"?

I Googled "French cars" and went to one of the sites and looked until I found text I could highlight and copy and it copied over when I pasted it into my post. Most accents will be reproduced this way. For instance:

From Yahoo Spain: Cada día es más fácil encontrar a tus viejos amigos, así que no esperes ¡búscalos ya!

From Yahoo Germany: Möchten Sie ein Haus, eine Wohnung oder ein Grundstück kaufen?

From Yahoo Norway: Du kan imidlertid fortsette å bruke Mail, Søk, Adressebok,

[mnehring]

Kerry just trades himself in every few days so he can be the car he focus grouped his audience would like.

[SierraWasp]

Oh! And here I thought he was a Pewjoe!! That's Crappier!!!

Actually he's wunna them there LADA's the USSR used to supply to Castro's Captives!!!

[Grampa Dave]

I could see Kerry driving or being driven in the older Peugot model that D Gallee used to ride in.

[Tealc]

Those fools. This is Kerry. Edwards as well.

[jwalsh07]

Bush is a Ford Truck, Kerry is Chinese Panel Van with nothing inside it and a 4 cylinder engine under the hood.

[feedback doctor]

I love for, but when I think of W I hear the jingle . . ."Like a ROCK!"

As far as Kerry is concerned, I think of PEUGEOT.

[conservaDave]

Und from de Steppenwolf...earschplitenloudenboomer.

[aruanan]

Und from de Steppenwolf...earschplitenloudenboomer.

Like the Christian Salsa band we had last night at church.

[Coyoteman]

Didn't Bush just buy a new F-350 4WD for his ranch? I saw it on TV but no pictures yet.

A Yugo-eye view of a Ford Truck!

[infowarrior]

Bush:Ford Mustang

Kerry: Ford Edsel (overhyped failure)

the infowarrior

[SierraWasp]

Actually, don't you think he's mostly a mo-ped???

[Denver Ditdat]

Kerry:

[Denver Ditdat]

Kerry:

[Denver Ditdat]

Dubya:

[TC Rider]

Ha, you beat me to it.

[Denver Ditdat]

Dubya:

[TC Rider]

Peugot 403 for Monsieur Kerry?

(yes, that is Columbo)

[Denver Ditdat]

Kerry:

Or was that Ted?

[The South Texan]

Yep, he's a Ford Truckman and probably proud of it!