Rebranding the Taliban

Rebranding the Taliban

The U.S. and its allies are now out of Afghanistan, leaving the Taliban in control. It is a remarkable victory for the Taliban; there were fireworks and celebrations as the last U.S. plane left the Kabul airport.

Once the celebrations are over, of course, reality will set in. Afghanistan has vast troubles, and people are scrambling to leave. Taliban leaders face a daunting set of challenges.

Perhaps the biggest issue is branding; the Taliban has to rebrand the organization to have any hope of long-term success leading the country.

The Taliban’s Branding Problem

The Taliban has a classic brand problem. Perceptions are high; people know the Taliban. Unaided awareness is likely over 90% across much of the world. But the perceptions, for many people, are very negative. I suspect a branding study would show the group is perceived as extreme, violent, scary and dangerous.

These perceptions are firmly established and come from experience. When the Taliban led Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, there was one story after the next about extreme actions, from harsh punishments for seemingly small crimes to the destruction of historic treasures. During the Afghanistan conflict, the Taliban deployed suicide bombers and road-side explosives, killing troops and civilians.

The problem is that to lead Afghanistan, the Taliban needs help from the global community – governments, NGOs, financial institutions, and investors. Few organizations will be willing to work with the Taliban given current brand perceptions.

The Taliban clearly knows this. Over the past few days, the organization has made statements promising an Islamic state with a more balanced approach. The Taliban let the U.S. depart; the group apparently wasn't behind the tragic attack last week.

The Path Forward

Can the Taliban pull off a rebranding? This won’t be easy. Brands with high awareness tend to have very sticky brand perceptions. Still, the Taliban has something of a fresh start; this is a moment when people may be open to reconsidering the group. Here are several things that would help.

Deal with the Basics

One of the great marketing lessons is that it is difficult to sell a bad product. You can be the most gifted marketer in the world, but if your product simply isn’t good, your efforts will ultimately fail.

The first task for the Taliban is getting the country working again: forming a government, restoring the financial system, making sure there is enough food, keeping the electricity on, reopening schools.

Avoid Negative Stories

The Taliban has long embraced the power of symbolic, brutal actions. This cannot be the approach now. Journalists around the world will be eager to report the negative stories: reprisals, violent punishments, restrictions on women. Each story reinforces the existing negative brand perceptions.

Create Positive News

It isn’t enough to avoid negative stories. The Taliban needs to create positive news to change brand perceptions. Without new information, the brand meaning won’t change.

So there should be a focus on generating positive stories, especially surprising news that attracts attention. This might mean sending sports teams to competitions, or promoting women to important positions, or letting people depart the country without problems. The Taliban are already starting to do some of this, allowing the Afghan cricket team to compete at a match in November.

Push Against ISIS

Comparisons can be a powerful marketing lever. Kraft Singles cheese slices embraced this approach for years when it advertised that while some cheese slices are made with oil, Kraft Singles are always made with milk. Apple used the same creative angle against Microsoft in one of the most charming advertising campaigns of all time.

The Taliban can use the same technique by focusing on ISIS. The Taliban could put forth the simple argument that, yes, they might be a bit extreme and rough, but they are much better than ISIS. The Taliban could position as the somewhat reasonable Islamic alternative.

In a strange way, the recent airport bombing might actually help the Taliban. The terrible event clearly distinguished between the Taliban and ISIS. The Taliban apparently worked to limit additional attacks; General Kenneth McKenzie, head of US Central Command, noted recently “We believe some attacks have been thwarted by them.” Actively opposing ISIS is a promising approach for the Taliban.

It will be fascinating to see how this develops. In several years, the Taliban may have completed a remarkable rebranding. For the people of Afghanistan, I hope the effort is successful.

Sign up for the my monthly letter at www.timcalkins.com

This article was first published on my blog, Building Strong Brands.

kathy kraas, CFRE

President @ K2 Consulting Group | We help clients surpass philanthropic stretch goals by 50-150%.

3 年

I'm not sure it's a branding challenge. The product is broken. It's hard to brand something without core values and a strategic vision. No?

Dario Menezes

Director Latin America (GroupCaliber) Consultancy Brand & Reputation | Crisis Mngt| Strategy | ESG | CSR | Speaker

3 年

Great article

It is like rebranding the Nazis & SS

Craig Kensek

Strategy | Corporate Marketing | Product Marketing | Marketing Management | Director | Communication | Cybersecurity

3 年

No US pr agency would ever take on this task. Great article.

要查看或添加评论,请登录

Tim Calkins的更多文章

  • Tesla's Brand Repositioning Problem

    Tesla's Brand Repositioning Problem

    14 Mar 2025 Elon Musk and Tesla are in the news. Musk, for leading Donald Trump’s DOGE effort, and Tesla for its weak…

    36 条评论
  • Once More: It Is Time to Stop Raising College Tuition

    Once More: It Is Time to Stop Raising College Tuition

    This weekend I had the chance to spend time at Yale and heard a terrific talk by President Maurie McInnis. I was struck…

    16 条评论
  • Rating the 2025 Super Bowl Ads

    Rating the 2025 Super Bowl Ads

    With Super Bowl ads now selling for up to $8 million for a thirty-second spot, it is clear that the extravaganza…

    15 条评论
  • 2025 Brands to Watch

    2025 Brands to Watch

    Welcome to 2025! The year will bring a new administration in Washington and with it lots of discussion of tariffs and…

    12 条评论
  • Looking Back on My 2024 Brands to Watch

    Looking Back on My 2024 Brands to Watch

    In recent years I’ve started the year by highlighting a few brands to watch. These are brands that are set up to have…

    9 条评论
  • Learning from the Election

    Learning from the Election

    We are just a little more than a week past the election, but it seems like the distant past. Before the excitement…

    9 条评论
  • Elections Are Branding Battles

    Elections Are Branding Battles

    Elections are brand fights. At Kellogg, we define brands to be the associations linked to a name, mark or symbol…

  • Why Starbucks and Nike Should Study LVMH

    Why Starbucks and Nike Should Study LVMH

    Two of the most astonishing branding stories this year have been the struggles of Nike and Starbucks. Both firms might…

    19 条评论
  • The Kellogg Super Bowl Ad Review Returns

    The Kellogg Super Bowl Ad Review Returns

    The Super Bowl is just days away, and once again a panel of Kellogg students will be evaluating all the spots in the…

    24 条评论
  • 2022 Brands to Watch

    2022 Brands to Watch

    Welcome to 2022! Every year I highlight a few brands to watch, brands that are heading into a particularly interesting…

    10 条评论

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了