Analysts skeptical of KMT facelift

The KMT recently hired one of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) former advertising agents in the hopes of improving the party's image, but such superficial touch-ups are unlikely to give the KMT the help it needs, political analysts said yesterday.

"The KMT still seems not to have a clear understanding of its failure in the presidential election and is only trying to take a shortcut to win back people's support," said Chen Fang-ming (陳芳明), a political analyst and professor at National Chengchi University.

Chen said that the KMT's strategy shows that it still lacks an ability for introspection.

He said that the reason the KMT lost power was not because its advertising tactics were poor or because it lacked high-quality propaganda skills, but because it had become corrupt and had refused to reform to satisfy people's expectations.

The KMT released two TV commercials this week, which were both produced by well known advertising expert Jerry Fan (范可欽).

The ads finish up with KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) wearing a red band tied around his head as he exhorts the public to join the KMT's reform effort.

Fan served as Chen's director of advertising in last year's presidential campaign and his ability to mould Chen's public image earned praise.

Since then, the KMT has decided to invite Fan to help Lien and the party create a new public image, as Lien has been highly dissatisfied with the party's past advertising campaigns.

Meanwhile, Hu Chung-shinn (胡忠信), who wrote Chen's biography Son of Taiwan (台灣之子) and served as a close consultant to the DPP during the presidential campaign, has also accepted the KMT's invitation to make a speech to the party's core members.

"The KMT obviously thinks that the best method to defeat the enemy is to learn from the enemy," said Hu when interviewed by the Taipei Times yesterday.

"However, I have to tell them [the KMT leadership] that reform efforts for the party are not simply packaging."

Hu said that for real reform KMT leaders should adjust their attitudes and act as a mature opposition party, and that the party should offer an effective policy for Taiwan's declining economy and should enhance its service to the community.

"The DPP has become corrupt in the 10 months since Chen took power last May 20. The KMT, however, should not just act as a barrier to the government or simply do nothing but laugh at the DPP," Hu said.

As to the effectiveness of Lien's new commercials, Hu Yu-wei (胡幼偉), a professor at the Graduate Institute of Mass Communication at National Taiwan Normal University, said that although the DPP's tactics proved successful in last year's election, they would not necessarily guarantee success for the KMT.

"Every political party and its leaders have a fixed public image, and wanting to change that image in a short period of time by means of advertisements is a mistaken, one-dimensional expectation," Hu said.

"Moreover, Fan's style of commercials are suitable for the DPP and has been regarded as `DPP style.' Therefore, Fan has to create a totally different style for the KMT," Hu added.

"For example, the new commercial shows Lien with a red band tied around his head, to make him look like a street fighter," Hu said.

"However, no one would say that Lien is that kind of politician."

Hu also echoed Chen Fang-ming's comments and said that the KMT should find out what issues are most important to the public and then draw up its platform to win people's support.