pol comm 4 marketing
DESCRIPTION
Discussion of political marketing based around the Lees-Marshment model for simplicity. Key question is whether political marketing is ever really adhered to, and is it really positive for democratic engagement. Fourth lecture for final year students on the Political Communication option in Bournemouth UniversityTRANSCRIPT
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The Marketisation of Political Communication
Lecture 4
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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
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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
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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)
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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)
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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
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Why marketing
• Dealignment• Political consumerism• Mass communication via mass media
But can it / Does it work?
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The pitfalls
• Populist policy proposals– Base common denominators
• Professionalisation of communication– Spin & Salesmanship
• Integrated strategies to win elections• Disengagement & separation
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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
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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)
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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.
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If a party were market oriented
• Intelligence gathering• Policy development• Adjustment – Opposition Research• Communication (etc)
See Conclusion, Lilleker & Lees-Marshment, 2005
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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
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Problems in defining requirements
• Lack of funding• Mass Party = Mass Public• Long-termism v short-termism• The unforeseen
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Problems in delivering satisfaction
• Internal v External• Permanent Campaigning or
Relationship Building• The media• Ennui
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Problems with Implementation
• Ideology• MPs or travelling salespersons?• Macro v Micro
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Key Questions
• Does politics = selling?• ‘Tyrants’ or ‘Representatives’?• One size fits all or something for
everyone?
Future Horizons – Storm Clouds or Sunny Spells?
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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”
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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?