Is the PAP going to eventually end up like BP? – A study of brand toxicity

We may have to entertain the theoretical possibility the PAP may no longer be able to exist in its current format.

What do you mean Darkness, it needs to reinvent itself?

No that’s not what I mean – the term reinvention really only means one thing, reworking with what’s already there with minor alterations and retrofits – what I am suggesting is a completely different paradigm, one that requires the entire platform to be retooled and redesigned from ground up without any remnants of emotion baggage that is typically associated with the PAP. I guess one way to visualize this is to imagine the PAP stepping boldly outside its own skin and perhaps even take on an altogether different shape and form that even sets itself from what we have traditionally regarded as PAPism – by this of course, I am entertaining the possibility, the PAP is damaged beyond economic repair.

Economic repair?

Yes, that’s a technical term that is frequently used in car insurance and actuarial circles – its rather apt as what it describes essentially is the logic that governs the whole idea of whether something is worthwhile repairing when its broken. Or just deciding to replace it with a new one – my point is the skeleton key that turns the decision nexus really hinges on one calculation – if that which is broken requires more resources to put it into order as compared to producing a new product, then it could be said, its not a viable option to repair it – and its possible, that the PAP as a brand has reached a point when its no longer economical to repair – under those set of assumptions, it makes far more sense to punch in the self destruct code and head for the escape pods.

And when do you think this will have to happen Darkness? You know the whole idea of rushing to the escape pods?

I think almost immideately judging from the results of the Presidential elections – if the custodians of power are really honest with themselves; they would be now realize from this point onwards its really at best a war of attrition – you see it is really like this; the PAP stinks as a brand. And its conceivable as far as the idea of toxic brands go, it cant be so different from the life cycle of BP when it literally dissolved into oblivion following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill – I guess many people will respond to the assertion of jettisoning the PAP brand by saying that the party has the resolve to reinvent it’self, but I think they are missing the whole point of the exercise.

And what’s the whole point of the exercise?

That they will have to use so much resources and effort to make the PAP brand work that even if they manage to succeed, that by itself might well be a catastrophic success. I think it’s time for the ASDF to move on from the idea, this may no longer be just a theoretical possibility.

The Suriman Tales – 2011