POLITICAL
MARKETING
Introduction and Approaches
by
Mercy Omoke
Evonne Kiptinness
What is marketing?
A management process that is involved in identifying,
anticipating, satisfying customers needs and wants
through the efficient and effective use of company’s
resources (Wright, 1999)
The management process through which goods and
services move from concept to the customer. It includes
the coordination of four elements called the 4 P's of
marketing: product, price,
place, and promotional strategy – (Business Dictionary)
What is political marketing?
A marriage of political science and business
marketing
Political marketing is a relatively new approach to
analysing political activity that draws upon
management marketing assumptions to
describe political behaviour. (Savigny, 2003)
How political elites use marketing tools and
concepts to understand, respond to, involve and
communicate with their political market in order to
achieve their goals (Lees-Marshment, 2009)
Political advertising, Celebrity endorsements,
involvement of professional, consultants and campaign
managers, online campaigning, mobile phone
canvassing, segmentation, micro targeting etc are
some of the methods extensively used in political
marketing.
The traditional definition of a market is where buyers
and sellers meet to buy and sell goods and services
In the case of political marketing: the election is the
market (where they meet), the political party is the
company (selling a product) and the vote is the
purchase
It explores a range of political behaviour from a
strategic perspective that is both analytical and
applied. (Lees-Marshment, 2009)
It considers what works, what should be and what
might have gone wrong.
It stresses on long term interactive relationships,
loyalties and obligations.
It is a fundamental part of political life
It has become the focus of many movies and
series which cover strategy, branding, positioning,
crisis management and polling.
Functions of political marketing:
The product function
This could be
The leadership/the candidate
Members of legislature (senators/MPs)
Membership or official supporters
Staff
Symbols – name, logo
Activities
Policies
Constitution
The distribution function
The campaign delivery function provides the
the electorate-with access to all relevant
information about the political product.
This includes the dissemination of information
regarding crucial party polices and programs,
placing the candidates in right channels,
making sure that medium of distribution fits
the ideology of the party etc.
The cost function
This refers to the management of attitudinal
and behavioral barriers of voters through
calculated campaign strategies.
The voter should receive all the information
regarding the product without spending
money for it.
Communication function
providing political content, political ideas and
future programs but also aiding the
interpretation and sense making of a complex
political world.
Often the communication function involves
simplification of political messages and a
concise political stand
News function
targeted to secondary exchange partners or
intermediaries of which media is an important
part.
management of publicity of the candidate and
party.
Public relation activities, media management,
online advertising campaign management are
news management functions.
Fundraising Function
politicalmarketing management cannot
survive without fund raising.
In order to provide the political actor with
appropriate resources, a distinct fund raising
function needs to be addressed.
A political party depends to a varying extent
on membership fee, donations,
Parallel campaign management
function
the requirement of co-coordinating the campaign
management activities of a political party with
those of parallel organizations.
Coordinated and synergic use of managerial
activities allows for a more efficient deployment of
campaign resources.
Furthermore, the use of parallel campaigns and
the endorsements by other organizations can
increase the trustworthiness of the political
messages.
Internal Cohesion Management
Functions
The function is concerned with relationship
with party members and activists as well as
the spokes persons.
The internal marketing functions play a critical
role in creating internal stability and therefore
the credibility of the party regarding its outside
image.
Political Marketing approaches
As a product based transaction strategy –
assumes that voters will realize that its ideas
are right and vote for it
As selling – focused on selling its argument to
voters using market intelligence
As market oriented – Uses market intelligence
to identify voter demands and adjusts their
product to fit the needs of voters.
Political marketing activities
Product design
Market intelligence
Product adjustment
Implementation
Communication
Campaign
Election
delivery
Politicians, government departments use
marketing in their pursuit of political goals
Market research is used when deciding on
policies, to understand what the people they serve
and seek votes from want and need;
voter profiling helps create new segments to
target; strategy guides creation of the political
brand to develop an attractive vision; internal
marketing guides the provision of volunteer
involvement; analytics and experimental
research test and refine communication
messages
REFERENCES
Savigny, H. (2003) Political Marketing, Journal
of Political Marketing, 3:1, 21-38, DOI:
10.1300/J199v03n01_02
Wright, R. (1999). Marketing: Origins,
concepts, environment. London: Business
Press.
Lees-Marshment, J. (2009). Political
marketing: Principles and applications.
London: Routledge.
