Beijing October IBS 2015

Reflections and The Rise of Political Marketing and Public Affairs

Management:Practice and Research

Phil Harris Executive Director, Business Research InstituteWestminster Chair of Marketing & Public AffairsUniversity of Chester.

P.harris@chester.ac.uk

and www.phil-harris.com

Background• CV: Radio, Food and Chemical Industry• Community Politics, President SU and

Chair TU. V-C Liberal Party. Campaigns• Author, Chair Marketors , Dean, NZ & UK• 150 articles, 12 books, films, tv, radio.• Focus China, Australasia and Europe• Machiavelli and Marco Polo

• Organisational marketing, Buying Behaviour, International Trade and Policy Making, Lobbying

• Research B2B, China, Lobbying, CSR, Negotiation, Buying Behaviour, Family Business, PA and PM.

Beijing Forum 2014

05/01/2023 Phil Harris 7

Development of Political Marketing

• Does it Exist ?• What does it cover ?• Election Campaigns. Referenda. Lobbying Pressure Group

campaigning. Policy Formulation.• For What ?• Strategic Competitive, Electoral or Policy Advantage• The Application of Marketing

1995 Irish Divorce Referendum

Measuring the Effect of Political Advertising

History Of Political Marketing:USA Experience

• Mareek, 1995 argues main reason for development was US Presidential System, tradition of elections for all public offices and rapid expansion of modern mass media. Addiction to elections.

• Early use of marketing tools: Direct mail, political advertising and publicity stunts

in political communication (Perry, 1968, Rothschild, 1978, Melder, 1992, Newman 1994, 1999 and O’Shaughnessy, 1990).

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History Of Political Marketing: UK Experience

• 1980’s experience. Thatcher image and integration of all political communications and control of news agendas.

• Long history. Mobile campaigning 1910 and post 1WW (outdoor films).

• Packaging of politicians ‘The marketing of Maggie’ Scammell, 1996. Presentation of Leaders, replicating Clinton (Norris, 1996 and Harris, Lock and Roberts, 1999).

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Models of Political Marketing

• Butler and Collins (1994). Structural and Process Characteristics• Wring (1997). Exchange process model, between buyer and

seller and direct adoption of a marketing model.

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Wring’s (1997) Model• Builds on Niffenegger (1989) and the role of environmental

analysis, strategic tools like market research and the 4 p’s mix in design of political campaigns.

Four Features:• the party or candidate organisation,• environment, which conditions its development• the strategic mix it deploys• and the market it must operate in.

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Newman’s Political Marketing Model

• Joins two strategic aspects of the campaign: Marketing and political which are seen as being influenced by the candidate’s strategic orientation (focus) and environmental forces.

• Central Feature, Marketing Campaign which consists of three elements:

• Market (voter segmentation)

• Candidate Positioning

• And strategy formulation and implementation

Defining Political Marketing

• The Application of Marketing to Politics and Society

• Election Campaigns. Referenda. Lobbying and Pressure Group campaigning. Policy Formulation.

• Strategic Competitive, Electoral or Policy Advantage. Political and Public Affairs Management

Historical Development of Campaigning

• The era of mass propaganda• The introduction of media

campaigning• The advent of political marketing

Mass propaganda• one-directional communication process• 1904 US - Parker hired by DNC as Director of

Publicity to unseat President Theodore Roosevelt

• 1929 UK - first time an advertising agency is appointed in UK politics - Holford Bottomley (Cons)

• UK DEVELOPMENT LATER THAN U.S.A

Dr. Paul Baines, University of Ottawa, MBA course

Media campaigning• British conservatives incorporated polling methods

into electoral strategy• George Gallup pioneered polling in US in 30s:

research incorporated into American TV advertising by 50s

• Lou Harris worked for Lester Pearson and the Liberal Party in Canada in 60s

• British Labour party used MORI throughout the 70’s

1952: Beginnings of political marketing with the election of

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Marketing tactics of the 1952 election:

• For the first time, parties set aside a budget for political communication.

• For Eisenhower, republicans hired a public relations firm and a pioneer of audio-visual commercial marketing, Thomas Rosser Reeves, Jr.

• Republican campaign bought 49 thirty-minute TV spots (one for each state). Each state’s spot was tailor-made, in which a resident asked Eisenhower a prepared question. The spots made Eisenhower look well prepared and knowledgeable, and gave him nation-wide coverage.

Marketing tactics, cont.• Eisenhower was encouraged to change his

physical appearance in an attempt to conceal his age. He also used cue cards rather than written out speeches when addressing his TV audience (so he could look directly into the camera).

• Democratic marketing failed. TV spots aired only at 10:30 and 11:00 at night, thus limiting their audience.

1956 Election tactics:• 30 minute TV spots were abandoned for short

advertising spots placed as closely as possible to popular television shows.

• Democrats placed Eisenhower in a negative light by showing spots from his 1952 campaign. Whenever he made a specific promise a voice over was added that whispered “How’s that, General?” before showing how Eisenhower failed to keep his promise.

1960: Kennedy vs. Nixon

The advent of political marketing• Re-organisation of parties to incorporate communication

teams• 80’s - Conservatives worked closely with Saatchi and

Saatchi, British Labour party develop under Peter Mandelson and Philip Gould

• 90’s - Bill Clinton works intimately with James Carville and George Stephanopoulos

• Closer alignment of policies and electorate’s considerations (citizen panels, focus groups)

• Social media and mass donation/involvement

Political Marketing Expenditure• • $150 mn: Obama's fundraising haul for September

• $47 mn: Amount that McCain had for spending between October 1 and Election Day

• 2004, $345m by George W. Bush.

• 2004,$310m by John Kerry.

Expenditure US Presidential Candidates

• Year Millions• 2008 $1,000 +• 2004, $717.9• 2000, $343.1• 1996, $239.9• 1992, $192. • 1988, $210.7 • 1984, $103.6 • 1980, $92.3

Current Issues in Political Marketing

• Past concentration on electoral or political communication.

• Growth of Political lobbying to gain competitive advantage/influence the regulator.

• Reinventing Government• Managing Electoral Expenditure.• Rise of the Referendum.

Name of Author(s) Political Marketing DefinitionShama (1975) ‘the process by which political candidates and their ideas are directed at voters in

order to satisfy their potential needs and thus gain their support for the candidate andideas in question’

Lock & Harris (1996) ‘the study of the processes of exchanges between political entities and theirenvironment and among themselves, with particular reference to the positioning ofboth those entities and their communications’

Henneberg (1997) ‘seeking to establish, maintain and enhance long-term voter relationships at a profitfor society and political parties, so that the objectives of the individual politicalactors and organisations involved are met. This is done by mutual exchange ofpromises.’

Wring (1997) ‘the party or candidate’s use of opinion research and environmental analysis toproduce and promote a competitive offering which will help realise organisationalaims and satisfy groups of electors in exchange for their votes.’

Baines (2001) ‘Political marketing is the process by which political organisations communicate theirmessage, policies and/or objectives to other political organisations, or the electorate,in order to solicit their support within the constraints of the electoral and politicalsystem(s), laws and regulations and the general political environment in which theyare operating, in order to further their organisation’s interests, or the interests of aclient.’

US Style Western European Style

Candidate Centered Party CenteredCapital Intensive Labour IntensiveMoney Driven Publicly FinancedPaid TV Ads Free TV Time For Political

BroadcastsConsultancy-based Managed By Party StaffHighly Individualised Highly CentralisedRegionalised Campaigns Nationwide CampaignsFocus On Likely Voters Focus On Electorate At Large

Source: Plasser F. & Plasser G., 2002

Comparison Of Campaign Styles

New Issues in Political Marketing

• Growth of Lobbying. EU, WTO etc• Growth in response to complexities of global

market and government as regulator.• Public Affairs industry Lobbying over 10

billion EURO in EU.• Abuse and greater controls Nolan, Standards

in Public Life. Transparency.

Public Affairs and Political Lobbying

• Driven by need to Gain Competitive advantage

• Globalisation. Trade Blocs. Corporations. NGO’s• Government as Regulator • International Government• Big Issues: Telecoms, Media, Utilities, Pharma

and services

Features of Electoral Campaigning

• Regulation of campaign expenditure and media.• Structure of media: ownership, print, tv, cell and

or radio.• Regularity of elections. 3, 4 or 5 years• Electoral system. First past the post,

proportional representation, upper/lower house/elections.

• Development and application of geo-demographics.

• Long Campaigns, War Room and Strategic campaign.

New Conservatism:David Cameron

Negative Advertising

Negative Advertising

Negative Advertising

Attack Advertising

Lobbying/Pressure Group Campaigning

Political Lobbying

• Driven by need to Gain Competitive advantage

• Globalisation. Trade Blocs. Corporations. NGO’s• Government as Regulator • International Government• Big Issues: Telecoms, Media, Utilities, Pharms

and now services

• Good lobbying is like growing asparagus, you wish you had started two years ago.

Michael Shea

Campaign against NIKE

http://www.american.edu/TED/nike.htm accessed on 27/03/07.

JUST DO IT!

Justdoit!boycottNike. (1998). http://www.geocities.com/athens/acropolis/5232/ accessed on 27/03/07

Political lobbying• “Driven by need to gain competitive advantage” • NGO’s

– Environmental groups• Greenpeace vs. Esso

– Tobacco• Philip Morris vs. gov’t

New issues in Political Campaigns

• Empowering of Women and Chauvinism in Politics.

• Human rights and Democracy in Middle East.

• Corruption and Democracy in Eastern Europe.

Iran

• History, Iran, a country of contradictions

• We are Iran: the Persian Blogs.

Iran 's Blog

Research • AM-Political-Marketing@jiscmail.ac.uk• Engagement/Disengagement of the voter/consumer• Delivery of Services• Citizenship/governance• E Democracy. Involvement or Isolation.• Issue campaigning• Who regulates the regulator ? • Journal of Public Affairs• Journal of Political Marketing

Ends and Means

• Judge politicians by what they doduring the day

and not what they do at night.

• Niccolo Machiavelli

Thank You. Any Questions