Political leaders understand the value of message discipline. They know brilliant political campaigns are really about just one thing, and that a campaign’s brilliance lies in its ability to project a singular message. All of the candidate’s policies and individual statements can be nested within that overall message.

In the current presidential race, we can easily discern the images they project. Barack Obama is about hope and optimism, Hillary Clinton is the reasoned voice of experience, John McCain is a walking independent streak, and Mitt Romney is executive competence. They do this because American politics is a cluttered, noisy and confusing town meeting. Because it is a challenge to be heard, striking the same note repeatedly offers the best chance at breaking through.

So it is in business: The marketplace is cluttered, noisy and confusing. Brand managers do their best work when their company projects a singular image. Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) is all about an inventive and elegant independence; it lets me have my music, my way, all in a sleek, status-infused package. Gap (NYSE: GPS) is straightforward and confident; its stores and ad campaigns mirror the simplicity and directness of its product designs.

The same principle tells us sustainability efforts can best bolster a company’s market presence if publicized examples are nested within the company’s overall brand message. Quite often, however, sustainability stories bear little resemblance to a company’s marketing efforts. It is an opportunity lost.

Nike (NYSE: NKE) is the world’s largest consumer of organic cotton. It may be surprising news, but consumers are unlikely to hear about it, at least from Nike. The company has generally been understated about its environmental accomplishments. But even if Nike began taking a more public stance, one could argue that organic cotton may not be something it should highlight. The reason: Organic cotton evokes soft images of ladybugs and butterflies, not quite what we expect from Nike. It is acoustic guitar to Nike’s hip-hop. It is so far from the company’s image sweet spot that even a positive news story about Nike and organic cotton could detract from the company’s overall message.

I meant hip hop music website :)