Seems we're not the only ones who've noted the similarities between the brands of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Microsoft and Apple.  From Tom Bevan of RealClearPolitics.com, writing in the Chicago Sun Times:

Having spent more than a decade in the world of advertising, I suppose it's only natural I tend to view political candidates and their campaigns as brands. Brands can be broken down into two components: a rational offer (I buy Product X because it does Y) and an emotional appeal (I buy Product X because it makes me feel Y). Of course, the most successful brands do both, presenting a compelling reason for consumers to choose one product over another.

In the race for the Democratic presidential nomination right now we're witnessing a battle between two powerful brands. Yes, John Edwards remains a factor in Iowa and Bill Richardson has the aura of a potential dark horse, but in reality it has boiled down to a two-person contest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama much more quickly than many expected.

And if you look at the head-to-head clash between the brands of Clinton and Obama, you can see a very apt analogy in the long (and ongoing) battle between two of the most successful brands in U.S. history: Microsoft and Apple.