Brandjack News

By Quentin Langley

Celebrities and politicians have dedicated groups of fans in a way that commerce can only envy. There is a sense of purpose about politics that creates loyalty. You support political causes for a reason, and don't change allegiance for reasons of convenience, only when there is some deeper underlying cause.

So, it is a potential problem when a retailer finds itself caught up in a fight between a celebrity and a politician. Here are the bullet points.

Littlewoods – a UK department store – decided to use Myleene Klass – a singer and celebrity – in its Christmas advertising campaign. Then Klass had a very public spat with Ed Miliband – Leader of the opposition Labour Party – over his plans for a "mansion tax". Does Littlewoods, which is not a particularly upscale retailer, want to be associated with the millionaire celebrity in her battle against a new property tax.

In the debate itself it is fair to say no-one emerges with much credit. Klass left Miliband lost for words in a debate on the issue in which she claimed that £2 million ($3.1 m) only buys you a garage in London. Property prices in London are steep, but not that steep. In fairly central Camden, where this author lives, £2m can buy a 3-4 bedroom family home.

A couple of days later Miliband hit back. His tweet, refuting Klass's claims and quoting her first hit was heavily retweeted by Labour supporters. In these days of business at the speed of light it is, perhaps, embarrassing that a leading politician – who might be Prime Minister in a matter of months – requires a two-day conclave with his adivsors before he can come up with a response to a naive attack from a shallow celebrity, so Labour hardly emerges looking professional. 

But the fact that Klass is wrong on the facts and Miliband is out of his depth in social media does not mean that the middle of this this second-rate fight between two third-rate fighters is where Littlewoods wants to be.

Klass has fans. Miliband has supporters – or, at least, the Labour Party does. Littlewoods merely has customers. If it offends some by lining up with Klass it does not mean it will pick up new customers from people who support parties other than Labour.

This is a fight with three losers and no winners. 

For a different tak on this debate see Myths and Memes by Robin Croft.