In a recent announcement, Mayor Rob Ford welcomed Canada’s disgraced Olympic sprinter Ben Johnson and Trailer Park Boys actor Sam Tarasco to support the Mayor’s re-election campaign. This may seem strange at first blush, but it is consistent with how Ford has positioned himself.
Ford has always welcomed controversy and has always been seen as a misfit amongst Toronto city officials with his antics on the job and in social contexts. Where most would shy away from the media due to embarrassing events such as crack smoking, drunken behaviours and weight loss challenges, Mayor Ford welcomes being in the limelight promoting his human flaws and imperfections. I am sure he believes any publicity is good publicity, and the more the merrier, so he continues to reinforce his controversial image by aligning with individuals whose misfit personas challenge the status quo.
Both Ben Johnson, the 1988 Summer Olympics 100 meters world record holder disgraced for doping, and Sam Tarasco, the actor who plays character Sam Losco on the Trailer Park Boys series, share common personas with the mayor. Both are non-conformists who have had troubles with the establishment. Ford believes this type of image, which he fully embraces, will resonate with the portion of Toronto voters who also see themselves as not fitting in with the Toronto establishment. The strategy of any successful politician is to reinforce the belief that he or she acts in the best interests of the citizens, and reflects voters’ aspirations and values. This allows the candidates to create greater separation and differentiation from the other competitors in the mayoral race.
In branding, it is critical that the given offering – in this case the actual mayor – provides a clear value proposition to its core target group. In the case of Mayor Ford, it is the Etobicoke constituents who seem to share the same values. In this approach, Ford has it right. Irrespective of whether you like or hate the man, he is indeed crafting a strong and consistent brand image in the minds of Toronto voters. The real challenges for Ford are whether there are enough voters who share his values, and whether these voters are willing to have him in office for another term, or is it time for voters to shift their attention to another candidate who supports their needs without all the theatrics? Maybe Ford should have stayed on point, advocating for frugal government spending and ensuring our taxes would not be increased.
I believe this new, emerging direction will not serve Mayor Ford well, as it does not support his original platform that won him his last election – ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. Irrespective of how Ford positions himself, one thing we can be assured of is that it will be entertaining, that there will be drunken stupors, misfit behaviours, and a lot of great media coverage on an international scale. Who said Toronto was boring?
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