Positioning Carly Fiorina in 2016: The Citizen Leader

Abstract

The material in this case can be used to determine brand positioning and brand essence statements in the context of presidential campaigns. The case presents the 2016 nominating process where 18 major contenders were vying to be the Republican Party's presidential candidate. The challenge is focused on Carly Fiorina who was largely unknown and faced obstacles that more familiar candidates did not. To make it to the finish line, she would need to find a way to break through the clutter and become known. But being known was only part of the challenge. The other challenge was figuring out how to position Fiorina such that she was meaningfully different from the other candidates and yet quite compelling and relevant for the target voters. To do this, her team would have to identify the best target (e.g., demographically and psychographically) and then determine the strategic brand positioning (i.e., brand essence statement). Excerpt UVA-M-0896 Nov. 6, 2015 Positioning Carley Fiorina in 2016: The Citizen Leader? The American people think we now have a professional political class of both parties that is more concerned with its protection of its power, privilege, and position than on solving problems. I agree with them, that's why I'm running. —Carly Fiorina If the framers of the Constitution of the United States wanted a political system populated by a robust selection of the people's choice, then the Republican Party's slate of candidates for the 2016 presidential election would have made them happy. The 2016 nominating process was shaking up to be one for the record books. Never before had there been 18 major contenders. In this crowded field, Carly Fiorina was the only female and one of the few candidates who had never held elected office. She was largely unknown and faced obstacles that more familiar candidates (e.g., Jeb Bush and Rand Paul) did not. . . .