UnBranding: Disenfranchising Terrorism and Disenchanting Terrorists

Abstract

This research addresses the perceived problem that past and current VEO engagement programs have been ineffective in achieving their original goals. It introduces a new approach to disenchant extremism and disenfranchise VEOs – Unbranding, defined here as the application of coordinated and synchronized powers to transform a name brand into a generic brand. A study of the history of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Islamic State (IS) illustrates the premise that the brand is the center of gravity of the organization. A potential explanation of how and when VEOs expand is tentatively explored. Regarded by the author as a robust pilot study, an empirical study demonstrates how a stakeholder’s personality can be a predictor of generic or name brand choices. For this study, a statistical model was specified to explain the correlation with stakeholder personality and generic or name brand selection. Regression and Path Analysis explored the relationships between the latent variables Intensity, Activity, Personality, and Resonance. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to identify the strength of relationships between structural components in the model. The study illustrates that stakeholders with a lower personality score may demonstrate low resonance and may not be moved to action for a VEO name brand. As such, a reduction in brand value and equity, as well as the resulting drop in categorical performance and standing, will weaken the organization’s ability to recruit or generate stakeholders who are willing to increase personal risk for the sake of the organization.