Political Advertising as Political Marketing: A Retro-Forward Perspective

Abstract

Political advertising continues to be a foundation of political marketing, both in the United States and around the world. The perspective presented here provides a look back at what researchers have accomplished in political advertising research over the past five decades, followed by an assessment of the most important priorities for future research. We know most about televised political ads, which focus more on issues than personality and usually from a positive perspective, but we know much less about other channels, especially new Web-hosted media. We can expect the legal and regulatory arena to prompt further changes in political advertising. At the same time, differences based on gender and race/ethnicity are likely to become more important, and the political and cultural context for international political advertising will demand more comparative study.

KEYWORDS:

• electronic political advertising
• international political advertising
• issue advocacy advertising
• political advertising
• political advertising methodologies

Acknowledgments

The author of this article passed away April 13, 2011.

Abstract and keywords supplied by special issue editor Christine B. Williams.