Presidential politics is a great laboratory to study branding and naming. Take Hillary for example. Fortunately for her, the name Hillary isn’t as common as Sharon or Kathy or Laura. So we don’t need to use her last names anymore. Rodham or Clinton. After so many years of free media to brand it, Hillary gets to own “Hillary”.

Hillary played it smart. When she moved into the oval office she took Rodham with her. It was a good insurance policy in case the “Clinton” thing didn’t work out. (She knew the risks.) With her Senate win and the preservation of her husband’s good name (for the most part), she was able to phase out the clunky Rodham. Now she only needs one name. It’s like when a successful law firm or ad agency drops the extra dead partners’ names to simplify their brand and make it easier for the junior associates to remember where they work. If Hillary can just be Hillary it should help soften her edges and warm up her persona–make her a little more Oprah-like.

Barak Obama is an interesting case. So far it looks like he’s Barack Obama. Not Obama. Not Barack. Barak Smith could be just: Barack. If he was John Obama I could see dropping the John and just being Obama. But when you are Barack Obama what are you going to drop? Initials don't work at all. No one wants B.O.

LBJ, JFK and FDR. These initials are securely implanted memes representing great Presidents. George W is just W, but W the President has to share it with W the Hotel. The president gets a zillion bucks worth of media, PR and word-of-mouth so he has an advantage over a little hotel chain. (But a Google search returns the hotel #1, W the magazine #2 and George W. third.) Nixon is Nixon. He doesn't need Dick, and neither do we. Bill, Jerry, Jimmy and the other George are just…. guys.

Recently I met with an accounting firm who was once known by the three three partners' names. The firm hired a consultant who spent a year and charged plenty of cash to re-brand them as three letters and an ampersand. (I can never remember the letters. One of them is a B, I think.) The new typeface is nice enough, and I’m sure their happy clients can remember the B and the other two initials better than the names they stood for. (And better than I can.) This accountant’s business will no doubt continue to grow because they do great work, but this firm, and so many others who try to own bits of alphabet, is going to have a hell of time creating a meme. “Give’em hell FB&P!"

Jeff