Dr. Bawumia’s political brand is dead

Introduction

I argue in this article that the political brand of Dr Bawumia is dead. I assert this based on my analysis of his political brand since he emerged into the political scene in 2007. Using the product life cycle model in marketing, I highlight key moments, events and activities that represent stages his political brand has transitioned in and out of from 2007-2023.

The product life cycle is a term that describes the time frame from when a product is introduced into a market till it is removed from the market. For example, if a product is introduced to a market from January 2023 and it is made available in retail stores for consumers to purchase and by the end of March 2023, the production of the product seizes and the product is removed from the market, then the product life cycle of that product is 3 months.

To understand the various stages a product goes through from the time it is introduced into the market to the time it exits, the product life cycle model was proposed. This model is used in marketing management for strategy formulation and implementation. It guides one to know what to do and when to do it for the sustainability and profitability of the product.

The product life cycle model advances that there are four stages in a product’s life cycle. They are the introduction stage, growth stage, maturity stage and the decline stage.

The introduction stage is characterised by newness of the product in the market, therefore there needs to be focused investment into distribution and promotion to create awareness of product to boost sales. The next stage is the growth stage that is characterized by increasing demand for the product because product becomes more popular in the market, hence increase in production to meet increased demand.

The maturity stage is the next stage, and it is characterized by increased profitability and market share but increased competition and market saturation. The last stage is the decline stage which is characterized by decreasing sales and loss of market share because competition has outcompeted the product with alternatives.

When a product gets to the decline stage, it is usually taken off the market, but some rebranding and product extension strategies can be implemented to rejuvenate or revive the brand.

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