Spitzer’s “Positioning” Problem

Beyond the immorality (and potentially illegal) issue of Eliot Spitzer’s involvement in a prostitution ring, there are lessons in the branding and positioning of “Eliot Spitzer”. He was the new sheriff of Wall Street. He was the antidote for the backdoor operations of New York government. There was no middle ground with Spitzer. He was the solution to all problems because he ran on a platform of unquestioned ethics.

And there in lies the problem. He left no middle ground for shortcomings. He positioned himself as moral beyond reproach, instead of just a visionary leader with great ideas. Now his moral shortcomings are coming home to roost.

Positioning of any candidate or business is often critical to success. Good “product” alone will often not win. So when considering proper positioning, ask yourself these simple questions:

• Does our positioning create differentiation?
• If we fall short of our brand promise, does it have the potential to leave our brand irreparably damaged?
• Are we making promises that are unrealistically sustainable?
• Can we live and breathe our brand promise?

Mistakes in politics and business are inevitable. Bill Clinton survived the Lewinsky scandal (albeit weaker than before). But he never positioned himself as the moral leader of the party – or country. Spitzer did and now leaves himself with little room to re-position his “brand”.

Most importantly, proper positioning will never eliminate the need to make proper, ethical decisions in business or politics.