brand = 'public image and reputation'

[Jonathan Lighter]

Cf. our earlier discussion of "rebranding."

CNN asks a guest about Herman Cain's image problem: "At what point
does that begin to hurt the Republican party brand?"

What makes it cringe-worthy is its open suggestion - or refreshingly
frank admission, depending on your viewpoint - that major political
parties exist chiefly to market and sell  "products" to consumers by
any and all legal means - rather like the manufacturers of patent
laxatives, to choose only the most obvious example.

Of course, that is what many voters want: "You can't go wrong with the
brand you trust."

JL
--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org