Political Marketing Orientation: Confusions, Complications, and Criticisms

Abstract

In this article, we seek to distinguish between two concepts often conflated in the literature: political market orientation and political marketing orientation. In the discussion, we focus specifically on voters rather than other actors in the political sphere such as competing parties, party members, the media, and lobby groups due to the centrality of the electorate in the political marketing literature and in political practice. We identify five key issues that influence the ability of parties and candidates to successfully leverage a well-developed political marketing orientation. These are (1) that it is difficult to control symbolization, (2) that it is difficult to control personality, (3) that there are value and symbol abnormalities, (4) that the public mind is unknowable, and (5) the corrupting power of negative campaigning. Finally, we distinguish two areas of further research, “downstream” research focused on political marketing orientation and “upstream” research focused on political market orientation, with specific recommendations for further research.

KEYWORDS:

• democracy
• market intelligence
• political marketing
• political marketing orientation
• politics
• voters

Notes

1. In our paper we follow the generally accepted view in the political marketing literature that customers are fundamentally analogous to the voter (Henneberg 2002) and is a specific subset of the wider debate on the similarities and differences between the political and commercial manifestations of marketing (see, e.g., Lock and Harris 1996; Baines and Egan 2001; O'Cass 2001).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nicholas J. O'Shaughnessy

Nicholas J. O'Shaughnessy is professor of communication at Queen Mary, University of London. Previously he was professor at the Universities of Brunel and Keele and director of the Centre for Consumer and Social Marketing at Brunel. Prior to this he was a fellow (now quondam fellow) of Hughes Hall in the University of Cambridge, where he was also university lecturer in marketing. He has degrees from London, Oxford, Columbia, and Cambridge Universities. O'Shaughnessy is the author and coauthor of many articles and books, including The Phenomenon of Political Marketing (Macmillan), Persuasion in Advertising(Routledge), The Marketing Power of Emotion (Oxford), and Propaganda and Politics: Weapons of Mass Seduction (Manchester; Michigan). He is on the editorial board of various journals and is a senior editor of the Journal of Political Marketing.

Paul R. Baines

Paul R. Baines is professor of political marketing at Cranfield School of Management and Programme Director, MSc in Management. He is currently managing editor, Europe of the Journal of Political Marketing. Over the last fifteen years, his research has particularly focused on political marketing, public opinion and propaganda. His latest books include Political Marketing(Sage Publications, 2011), with Sir Robert Worcester, Roger Mortimore and Mark Gill, Explaining Cameron's Coalition (Biteback Publishing, 2011) and a four volume book set titled Propaganda with Nicholas J. O'Shaughnessy (Sage Publications, 2012). His consultancy includes experience working with UK government departments on communication research projects as well as small and large private enterprises on market research/marketing planning. He operates his own strategic marketing/research consultancy, Baines Associates Limited.

Aron O'Cass

Aron O'Cass is professor of marketing at the University of Tasmania's School of Management. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in marketing, a Master of Business, majoring in marketing, and a PhD in consumer behavior. Professor O'Cass has published over 200 research papers on issues related to innovation, especially product and service innovation, branding, consumer behavior, political marketing, export marketing, fashion, organizational learning and sustainable competitive advantage, and numerous other issues. His publications appear in journals such as the Journal of Business Research, British Journal of Management, European Journal of Marketing, Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Economic Psychology, Journal of Product & Brand Management, Journal of Vacation Marketing, Journal of Advertising and the Journal of Consumer Behaviour, and others.

Robert P. Ormrod

Robert P. Ormrod is associate professor at Aarhus University, Denmark, and is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Political Marketing. He publishes regularly on the subject of political marketing in both marketing and political science journals (e.g., Journal of Political Marketing, Marketing Theory, European Journal of Marketing and Party Politics), and he is the co-author of Political Marketing: Theory and Concepts (together with Stephan C. Henneberg and Nicholas J. O'Shaughnessy), to be published by Sage in 2013. Dr. Ormrod's research interests include political market orientation, political marketing theory and stakeholder management.