The Marketisation of Political Communication

Lecture 4

Key Questions

• Is there a political marketplace?• Is there an overlap between

consumption and citizenship?• Is voting about ‘ME’ or ‘WE’ – if the

latter who are ‘WE’• Can marketing models be applied to

politics – if so why, when and how

The Basics of Marketing

A social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others (Kotler et al, 2005, p. 6)

Exchange, value, satisfaction are key

The basics of politics

“Politics is the process by which groups make decisions. It is the authoritative

allocation of values”

‘the reaching and influencing of decisions, and formulation of

strategies, that favour the collective good of the society being governed’.

(Crick, 1987)

What is political marketing?

‘the reaching and influencing of decisions, and the formulation of

strategies and creation of offerings, that satisfy the needs and wants of a

society who exchange their own representative capacity for that

satisfaction’ (Lilleker, 2007)

This suggests…

• An understanding of society, needs/wants– Requires 2-way communication at least

• Ongoing interaction• A consumer / user focus within policy

development• A receiver focus to communication• Delivery that is recognisable and tangible

Why marketing

• Dealignment• Political consumerism• Mass communication via mass media

But can it / Does it work?

The pitfalls

• Populist policy proposals– Base common denominators

• Professionalisation of communication– Spin & Salesmanship

• Integrated strategies to win elections• Disengagement & separation

Reasons

• Adaptation of tools not philosophy• The magpie approach• Focus on electoral victory – the big sell!• Competing social demands impossible

to reconcile• Media a force of opposition• Quality of a product is perceptual• Lack of choice in the marketplace

Party Orientations

• Product– Offer an ideology for the voter to select

• Sales– Promote their ideology to the voters

• Market– Adopt and follow the ideology of the

majority of voters (market)

Product Oriented Sales Oriented Market Oriented

STAGE 1Product design

STAGE 1Product design

STAGE 1Market Intelligence

STAGE 2Market Intelligence

STAGE 2Product design

STAGE 3Product

Adjustment

STAGE 4Implementation

STAGE 2Communication

STAGE 3Communication

STAGE 5Communication

STAGE 3Campaign

STAGE 4Campaign

STAGE 6Campaign

STAGE 4Election

STAGE 5Election

STAGE 7Election

STAGE 5Delivery

STAGE 6Delivery

STAGE 8Delivery

J Lees-Marshment, 2003, The marketing of political parties, MUP.

If a party were market oriented

• Intelligence gathering• Policy development• Adjustment – Opposition Research• Communication (etc)

See Conclusion, Lilleker & Lees-Marshment, 2005

The problems with research

The production of Aggregates• Worcester Woman and Basildon Man

Can cause Disenfranchisement• Barnsley Man & Woman

Allows room for anti-marketing candidates

Problems in defining requirements

• Lack of funding• Mass Party = Mass Public• Long-termism v short-termism• The unforeseen

Problems in delivering satisfaction

• Internal v External• Permanent Campaigning or

Relationship Building• The media• Ennui

Problems with Implementation

• Ideology• MPs or travelling salespersons?• Macro v Micro

Key Questions

• Does politics = selling?• ‘Tyrants’ or ‘Representatives’?• One size fits all or something for

everyone?

Future Horizons – Storm Clouds or Sunny Spells?

Views from within

“Marketing will destroy politics – there are no ideas in marketing just profit”

“Marketing consultants’ business is to understand people, we need that skill”

Marketing can help us to re-engage with the people, but it can also push them further away”

“Until parties use marketing right and properly, and have the resources to do so, political marketing is bunk and the studies not worth the paper they are written on”

Questions for Discussion

• What do we mean by political consumption?

• Are we ever citizens? • Is political communication just

salesmanship?• Is marketing and politics compatible?

– If so in what way? – If not why not?

• What is the political product?• Can politics be market-oriented?