Marketing Policy
If you can sell a product to consumers through marketing techniques, we can also sell political ideas and politicians using similar techniques. That is what is based marketing policy. Is it a danger to democracy as a means or another of promoting political ideas?
How does the Marketing Policy
The marketing policy is to determine the expectations of voters or a group of voters through polls or groups of compounds reflections panels voter targets, and then build a policy that correspond to their expectations and encourage them to vote for the candidate chosen. The policies are no longer elected for their ideas, but part of a political strategy as they try to create a positive image and mount the perfect programme which will please the greatest number. The policy is therefore a genuine Thursday therefore the only goal is to win to take power.
But while the commercial marketing based on market research to create its advertising campaigns, marketing policy it is based on opinion polls to create its propaganda campaign. The publicity or propaganda are positioning themselves as a source of information and assistance in making choices facing the abundance of products or candidates.
The Politician as the product model
In the political marketing, every politician is a brand building to the public. Once an image is built, it will be able to become the flagship product of a party and represent him. Thus, the politician is no longer the incarnation of his ideas and his plans for life, he must represent the views of the majority of the population. His style becomes much more important than his words.
Why just watch Sarkozy shocked both the public and becomes a source of debate?
Some marketing specialists argue that Barrack Obama could win the Democratic nomination thanks to its ability to invest in marketing policy. Indeed, the logo campaign that is worthy of a great company. Parllament, Hillary Clinton’s Democratic rival has no official logo. The logo as a tactic of political marketing?
The voter is it a consumer?
If one accepts that marketing policy aims to sell ideas or politicians, in this case we must also admit that voters are consumers. But what they actually consume? They consume dreams, hopes of a better world, each with a vision of a better world for both individual, for oneself, and collective, for the nation. To these consumers hope, we must sell a candidate sufficiently large number so it can take power.
The consumer-voter is therefore influenced insofar as it is relatively ignorant. For John Quelch, a marketing professional of the USA, 20% of Americans pay special attention to politics while the remaining 80% of potential voters have no time to spend, do not see the Interest or do not see any significant difference between the candidates. The latter, the ill-informed voters are the prime target of political marketing because they are potentially in search of political ideas. Precisely, marketing specialists are there to provide.
In this context, the fight against abstention is mainly an invitation to speak to those who n’ys’y not interest them. A abstentionist who vote for the first time are more impressionable.
Marketing policy to ensure social cohesion?
Assuming that the political marketing has a real influence on public opinion and control of elections; Is this necessarily bad for the general interest and democracy?
Edward Bernays, the forerunner of political marketing and founder of the public institutional propaganda claims that the manipulation of public opinion is necessary to preserve democracy and social cohesion. In his 1928 book Propaganda, it claims that:
“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this mechanism is an invisible invisible government which is the real driving force of our country… We are governed, our minds are forged, dictated our tastes, our ideas suggested largely by men we heard I liked. It is a logical outcome of how our democratic society is organized. Many people must cooperate in this way insofar as they must live together in a company operating in the most fluid possible… In almost all our activities of daily life, whether in politics or business Our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by a relatively small portion of people… who are the mental process and pattern of social masses. It is they who pulling the strings that control public opinion… ”
Thus, the political marketing according Bernays is used by a certain elite “good thinking” including the functioning of the psychology of the masses to preserve a calm social climate. But also, understandably, to ensure a place at the top of the social hierarchy.
Recall that Bernays, a nephew of Sigmund Freud, was originally a campaign Torches of Freedom on behalf of the company’s Lucky Strike. At the time, in 1929 women were not allowed to smoke in public. The idea was for a feminist event to introduce some models currently smoke cigarettes in public. The media were on hand and swiftly cigarette was associated among women in an act of liberation. Smoking became a symbol of protest and cigarette companies could expand their market. Joseph Goebbels the infamous minister of propaganda under the Nazi regime in Germany also drew heavily on its work.
The future of Marketing Policy
The use of Marketing policy is in direct correlation with the funds allocated to a political campaign. Indeed, marketing operations that are political analysis of public opinion, the eve politics, the design of messages and political arguments and the establishment of communication with the media coutent dearly. If companies can afford such expenses, this is not necessarily the case with political organizations. In determining the ceiling of expenditure during election campaigns for political parties, it minimizes the use of political marketing and hence the potential risks that may be involved. In France, CSA (Conseil Superior de l’Audiovisuel) prohibits any communication policies pay and television appearances are strictly regulated between each candidate. There are still gaps as big parties coverage at times of strong listening while smaller parties are relayed to hours of listening less.
In countries like the USA where there is no ceiling on donations to a political party, the political marketing can take place extremely important. It also believes that American political parties spend on average $ 20 per American advertising for the presidential campaign of 2008. A sum may seem considerable, but is weak in relation to the issues that are disputed.
Among other because we must give time to people like the candidate that France be politician is a profession, a career. Meanwhile, the USA image of a candidate lambda can be created within a few months thanks to advertising campaigns carried out well.
In short, the political marketing seems to have a bright future in the world. While in France he will never equal importance elsewhere, we note that it is on the Internet that will most likely grow to the extent that it is a little controlled media. Moreover, is on the web that political marketing techniques can be done at lower cost… The debate remains wide. What do you think personally of political marketing?
Tags: campaign, commercial marketing, Hillary Clinton's, market research, Marketing Policy, that Barrack Obama