magsino kaman Flashcards
(117 cards)
1
Q
is a fundamental part of political life. A large
number of political players, including presidents and prime ministers,
politicians and parties, as well as government departments and
councils turn to marketing in their pursuit of political goals.
A
Political marketing
2
Q
- Leadership/ Candidate- their powers, image, character, support/ appeal,
relationship with the rest of the party organisation (advisors, cabinet,
members,MPs), relationship with the media.
Members of the legislature (senators,MPs)/ candidates for election- their
nature, activity, how representative of society they are.
2.
Membership or official supporters- their powers, recruitment, nature
(ideological character, activity, loyalty, behaviour, relationship to the leader)
3.
Staff (researchers, professionals, advisors,etc.)- their role, influence, office
powers, relationship with other parts of the party organisation.
4.
5.Symbols- name, logo, anthem
6. Constitution/rules
7. Activities- meetings, conferences, rallies.
8. Policies - proposed, current and those implemented in power
A
DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS IN POLITICS
2
Q
their powers, image, character, support/ appeal,
relationship with the rest of the party organisation (advisors, cabinet,
members,MPs), relationship with the media.
A
Leadership/ Candidate
2
Q
The Basic Components
A
Candidates
Politicians
Leaders
Parties
Governments and NGOs
2
Q
Create policy change, including putting issues on the
agenda, attracting public support, communicating the
vision and passing legislation.
Improve representation of minorities such as disabled
persons or an ethnic group.
Change behavior in society such as reducing drunk driving.
Gain support from new segments in the market such as
the healthy pensioners.
Create a long-term positive relationship with voters in a
district, constituency, electorate or riding.
A
Political Goals
2
Q
According to _____
political parties, like businesses, rely on a
variety of stakeholders, including members,
volunteers, other politicians, lobbyists, interest
groups, donors, the media, professional
associations, electoral commissions, and
government staff. The importance of these
stakeholders varies by organization and
political context, such as opposition versus
government roles.
A
Mortimore and Gill (2010),
2
Q
their nature, activity, how representative of society they are.
A
Members of the legislature (senators,MPs)/ candidates for election-
2
Q
Quantitative and Qualitative Market Research
Pools and Focus Groups
Role Play and Deliberation
Big Data and Market Surveillance
A
Political Market Research Tools
2
Q
is not just policies but the
entire behaviour of a political organisation or
practitioner, including political figures and
volunteers, not all of which are controllable or
tangible.
A
political product
2
Q
their role, influence, office
powers, relationship with other parts of the party organisation.
A
Staff (researchers, professionals, advisors,etc.)
2
Q
focusing on using
research to create effective communication
to sell the product to the voter
Political Marketing offers tools for organizing
effectively, such as an for internal party
marketing and volunteer management
A
Adopting a Sales or Market Orientation
Towards Electioneering
2
Q
name, logo, anthem
A
Symbols
2
Q
their powers, recruitment, nature
(ideological character, activity, loyalty, behaviour, relationship to the leader)
A
Membership or official supporters
2
Q
proposed, current and those implemented in power
A
Policies
2
Q
Political marketing practice also includes a more
relational strategy, using marketing to create long-term positive relationships between
voters and political elites that help sustain politicians in times of crisis or failure and enable
them to enact transformational leadership decisions. Voters are still listened to, but as
Jackson (2013, 252) notes, the approach,
“is to build a relationship centered on dialogue
which leads to trust and empathy”
A
Relational Political Marketing
2
Q
helps politicians to understand
voters and volunteers at individual level to then connect them into new
groups that they can targe
A
Segmentation and Voter Profiling
3
Q
which suggests that parties
and candidates need to take account of the
competition and ensure they occupy a
distinct, superior position from which they
can attract support
A
Positioning
3
Q
meetings, conferences, rallies.
A
Activities
3
Q
suggested a movement towards seeing internal stakeholders as integral to successful
political marketing and to long-term, mutual and interactive communication, and towards
using marketing to help create room for leadership.
A
Research in the Routledge Handbook of Political Marketing (Lees-Marshment 2012)
3
Q
refers to the strategies used by parties and candidates to place themselves within
the marketplace (Bigi et al. 2015). “It is a process of establishing and managing the images,
perceptions, and associations that the consumer applies to a product’.
A
Positioning
3
Q
Barriers to researching and teaching Political Marketing
A
1.Cross-Disciplinary Challenges
2.Resistance from Traditional Academics
3. Institutional Barriers:
4.Practical vs. Academic Focus
5.Teaching and Supervision Issues
6.US and International Trends
7.Growing Acceptance
8.Ethical and Democratic Implications:
3
Q
An alternative concept is experiential marketing, suggested by Jackson (2013), which is
focused on involving the consumer in an active experience with the brand. Voters are not
just spectators but feel part of the event.
A
Experiential or Co-creation Political Marketing
3
Q
is a research philosophy that emphasizes using
methods that are most effective for the specific research
question at hand. It focuses on practical application and solving
real-world problems rather than sticking to one rigid
methodology
A
Pragmatism
4
Q
is about strategic resource allocation and focusing on products where there is a
market for them and where they will likely win the support necessary to achieve stated goals.
is arguably even more important for smaller parties as it helps conserve precious
resources and deploy them more effectively.
is an effective strategy when communication and product targeting are linked.
A
Targeting
5
linked to specific policies or proposals.
Rational
6
related to the image of a party or a leader or are tied directly to certain emotions.
Affective
7
linked to actions taken by leaders or parties or to outside events.
Cognative
8
1. Clarity of the position: know what the competitive advantage is and what voters think of this
2. Consistency of position: a voter needs to know where they are; the organization needs to
offer a consistent and sustained approach.
3. Credibility of positioning: the voter's judgement of the quality of political proposals will
always prevail.
4. Competitiveness: offer value that competing products do not.
5. Communicable: position must be easily communicated to targets
five principles for
successful positioning
8
know what the competitive advantage is and what voters think of this
Clarity of the position
8
a voter needs to know where they are; the organization needs to
offer a consistent and sustained approach.
Consistency of position
9
the voter's judgement of the quality of political proposals will
always prevail.
Credibility of positioning
10
offer value that competing products do not.
Competitiveness
10
position must be easily communicated to targets.
Communicable
10
Has to appeal to a broad
range of voters, and their
interests conflict. Subject to
continuous attack.
Defensive strategies to
maintain and/or expand
market share.
Market Leader
11
Champions new issues which
can make challenger appear
to be out of step with public
opinion; but otherwise has a
similar product to leader and
needs to convey
differentiation or superiority.
Characterises leader
negatively (e.g as corrupt or
incompetent). brand position
on new issue early to gain
support once the issue
becomes more salient.
Challenger
11
Specialises in serving the
needs of a niche better than
other competitors.
Can transform through radical
strategic change and new
product positioning but needs
to communicate it effectively
Nicher
12
Insecure position as follows
the leader, but lacks the
marketing resources to do so
and is subject to losing their
market support to
challengers.
Can use cloning and copy the
leader; or imitate them by
adapting product aspects so
they still differentiate or seek
support from distinctive
segments. They also need to
protect their market share
and thus avoid too much
radical change.
Follower
13
is also reluctant to change its product, but it uses
market intelligence to identify persuadable voters and design more effective
communication strategies to sell the party and its products to them.
Political market process for sales oriented party.
1 stage: Product design
2 stage: Market intelligence
3 stage: Communication
4 stage: Campaign
5 stage: election
6 stage: Delivery
sales oriented party (SOP)
13
- A broader strategic consideration is whether
politicians and parties should adopt a sales or a market orientation.
Market and sales oriented strategies.
13
● Blair partially applied the MOP model, which led to internal party dissatisfaction,
particularly over changes to Clause IV, and a lack of clear differentiation from previous
Conservative policies.
UK (Tony Blair's New Labour, 1997)
14
is a traditional party, making the case for what it
believes in during elections without reflecting on what voters want or how they might
react to its product, even if it fails to gain support. it argues for what it stands for,
believing its product is of such value that people will vote for it because it is inherently
better or right.
Political market process for product oriented party.
1 stage: Product design
2 stage: Communication
3 stage: Campaign
4 stage: Election
5 stage: Delivery
product oriented party (POP)
14
argues that for politicians and parties to win elections they need
to use market research to inform how they design their product and brand, thus creating
something voters to support and reducing the need for communications.
Political market process for market oriented party.
1 stage: Market intelligence
2 stage: Product design
3 stage: Product adjustment
4 stage: Implementation
5 stage: Communication
6 stage: Campaign
7 stage: Election
8 stage: Delivery
market orientation
14
● The APRA party faced significant voter backlash after failing to deliver on campaign
promises once in government, highlighting a common MOP model weakness.
Peru (APRA Party)
14
● The National Party's strategy lacked distinctiveness and clear vision, leading to
ineffective delivery and voter disengagement.
New Zealand (National Party, 2008):
15
● Despite winning the election with a market-oriented approach, New Democracy
struggled to fulfill its promises in government, resulting in voter discontent.
Greece (New Democracy, 2004):
15
● Internal party debates and the challenges of maintaining a market-oriented approach in
government were evident during Rudd's tenure, leading to inconsistent governance.
Australia (Kevin Rudd's Labor Party, 2007):
15
is a model used in political parties that identify the demands of the voters
Market-Oriented Politics Model
16
● The LDP's application of the MOP model led to corruption and a loss of public trust,
contributing to the party's fall from power.
Japan (Liberal Democratic Party, 1993):
17
a member of a political party claiming to represent the common people
Populist
17
to identify counter customers, understand their moods and
frustrations, and identify simple solutions.
Market intelligence
18
the leadership drives adjusting the product to
suit the internal market creating clear cut messages through skilled communication.
Product design and communication
19
can encourage or empower a party to become a populist one that
strives to win at all cost by following the public opinion without any principles.
Market-orientation
20
A political ideology which combines right wing politics and populist
rhetoric
Right wing populism
21
Willing to take risks and innovate, believing they can control their environment
1. Entrepreneurial Strategy
21
- Knows it y lot control its environment, so complies with norms and is very risk-averse.
Conformity Strategy
21
- Acknowledges lack of control, so avoids risks and sticks to old habits.
Defense Strategy
21
Decoupling Strategy:
- Feels in control but avoids risks to maintain resources.
Decoupling Strategy
22
1. Design Strategy:
- A clear, long-term plan is developed from the start.
2. Emergent Strategy:
- Reactive and adapts as events unfold.
3. Interpretive Strategy:
- Aims to influence and change the political environment itself
Types of Political Strategies
23
- A clear, long-term plan is developed from the start.
Design Strategy
23
- Aims to influence and change the political environment itself
Interpretive Strategy
24
- Reactive and adapts as events unfold.
Emergent Strategy
24
- Strömbäck (2010a) explored how parties in different countries used political marketing
techniques.
Surveys
24
is not straightforward
Measuring Political Strategy
24
1. Surveys:
- Strömbäck (2010a) explored how parties in different countries used political marketing
techniques.
2. Content Analysis:
- Ormrod and Henneberg (2006)
analyzed UK party manifestos to assess how developed political marketing concepts were.
3. Public Opinion Polls:
- Johns and Brandenburg (2014)
measured voters' perceptions of a party's market orientation.
4.Binary Regression Tests:
- Winther Nielsen (2015) ran tests on data from Danish political strategists to understand
how likely they were to adopt certain strategies.
Methods for Measuring Political Strategy
24
- Ormrod and Henneberg (2006)
analyzed UK party manifestos to assess how developed political marketing concepts were.
Content Analysis
24
- Winther Nielsen (2015) ran tests on data from Danish political strategists to understand
how likely they were to adopt certain strategies.
Binary Regression Tests
25
● Impact of high public support and electoral losses on strategy development
Public Support Dynamics
25
- Johns and Brandenburg (2014)
measured voters' perceptions of a party's market orientation
Public Opinion Polls
26
refers to the way voters
engage with political candidates and parties as they
would with brands in the marketplace. Voters, much like
consumers, base their political choices on personal
values, perceptions of candidates ability to relate to
ordinary people, and how well these candidates meet
their needs
Political consumer behavior
26
● Internal power and positioning
● Complexity of governing
● Crisis management and federal system challenges
Key Barriers to Effective Strategy
26
Importance of Leadership
● Role of leaders in strategy success and public engagement (Fischer et al. 2007;
LeesMarshment 2010).
Support and Engagement
● Need for support from senior officials and strategy units.
Strategic Groups
● Importance of small, strategic groups led by the leader (Glaab 2007; Lindholm & Prehn
2007).
Maintaining Market Orientation
● Use of market intelligence to stay aligned with public needs (Lees-Marshment 2008).
Tools for Effective Strategy
● Stakeholder support and strategic tools like spending reviews (Boaz & Solesbury, 2007)
Positive Influence that aid strategy
27
are methods and techniques used
to gather information about voters, public opinion, and political
trends. These tools help political campaigns and parties
understand what issues matter to voters and how to communicate
effectively with them
Political market research tools
27
Focuses on gathering large amounts of data through
structured, closed questions to measure opinions and
trends. Common methods include polls, surveys, and
panels, which are easy to administer and provide
accurate, comparable results. However, it has limitations
such as potential bias in question design, high costs, and
the need for pre-defined objectives, making it less likely
to uncover new insights. Researchers use samples that
represent the broader population, employing question
types like multiple-choice, opinion scales, ranking, and
paired comparisons to capture responses. While basic
polls track preferences, detailed surveys assess
perceptions and support trends over time.
Quantitative Research
27
1. Loss of objective advisors with that gut feel and ability to offer blunt criticism.
2. Realities and constraints of government.
3. Increasing knowledge and experience among leaders, encouraging feeling of invincibility and
superiority.
4. Weak opposition, which encourages and facilitates complacency.
5. Difficulty and slow pace of delivery in government.
6.Lack of time to think about future product development.
FACTORS HINDERING MAINTENANCE OF A MARKET ORIENTATION IN
GOVERNMENT
28
is increasingly borrowing from business
and marketing strategies to understand and persuade voters, leading
to a growing focus on political consumerism and its impact on
traditional political behavior
Political market research
29
● Difficulty in maintaining a market-focused approach in government
Market Orientation Challenges
29
Segmentation divides the diverse electoral market into
smaller, targeted groups based on shared
characteristics, making it more actionable than
traditional left-right ideological divisions. With the
decline in traditional political participation,
segmentation allows for more precise targeting in terms
of product, message, and medium. It offers a better
understanding of voter behavior, especially when
traditional political labels are less effective
Electoral Segmentation
30
comes in many forms, mainly: focus groups, participant
observation, interviewing and ethnography. It is a field of inquiry in its own
right and had a strong multidisciplinary tradition. It is used to understand
rather than measure and thus uses focus groups.
Focus groups are small samples of typical consumers under the direction of a
group leader who elicits their reaction to a stimulus, such as a potential ad,
branding positioning, slogans or - in the context of politics - reactions to
leaders, parties or policies
Qualitative research
31
Political leaders need to build up a positive political brand personality. This can be done
through events, politicians’/party actions and behaviour, promises, policies, statements
and advertising. These all help to form a brand’s personality as well as being impacted
on by partisanship (Smith 2009). Smith (2009. 220) argues that there are six important
components of political brand personalities and political leaders need to try to score
highly on sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication and ruggedness.
Political brand personality
31
is the overarching feeling, impression or image the public has towards
a politician, political organization or nation. It is broader than the product and more
intangible, as well as psychological.
political brand
31
involves leveraging the historical narrative and core values
of a brand to create a compelling identity that resonates with consumers. By delving into
the origins, milestones, and traditions associated with the brand, companies can
enhance emotional connections with their audience. This ultimate strategy not only
reinforces brand loyalty but also differentiates the brand in a crowded marketplace,
making it more relatable and memorable.
Utilizing party brand heritage
31
Langmaid (2012, 61) explains that co-creation uses a range of techniques
'that
involve the user, or voter, in creating the solution to the problem, rather than
simply voicing their demands and issues.
Co-creation and Deliberative
Market Research
31
It also provides informal and at low-cost political market research, including
the insight gained through casual conversations, social media interactions,
and community engagement that is otherwise costly to undertake through
expensive surveys. Such an approach enables a candidate to understand the
voter’s preferences within a relatively short time while making authentic
connections with people.
Informal Low-Cost Political
Market Research
31
include online surveys and focus
groups, which provide structured feedback from any number of specific
demographics regarding their preferences and opinions. Data analytics
platforms are also used with the aim of analyzing behaviors and trends so
that campaigns can tailor their strategy to insights gained from previous
elections and demographic data
Other political market research tools used
31
Political branding also draws on highly salient commercial brands. For example, in
Canada politicians aim to be seen in the home-grown Canadian coffee shop Tim
Hortons.
Associative political branding with refreshment and sports
31
One of the many repercussions of the first few years of the Trump
administration has been to both showcase and denigrate the practice of
opposition research (such as the infamous including elected officials
'
voting
records, campaign contribution records, court files, and personal and
business records, including property records and property tax payment
histories; behavioural records such as club Trump Tower meeting. Opposition
research is conducted to identify potential weaknesses and controversies
and also comparable strengths of the party/candidate and the opposition,
and, like other forms of market research, there are companies specialising in
this work. However, it rarely implies meeting with nefarious characters who
claim to
'have dirt'
on a candidate. While candidate research is better known
for digging up personal scandals, analysis of public documents can be as
valuable for identifying potential problems.
Opposition Research
31
A politician is a human being, rather than a commercial product, and as a result brings
their own personality to the branding exercise. Branding can be limited by their own
physical attributes; new, younger leaders find it easier to convey change and be fresh,
and older leaders find it easier to appear competent and capable of governing.
Authenticity and integrating the and candidate’s own personality
32
Communication strategies need to be used to build a brand. Images taken by Canadian
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's official photographer were carefully controlled and
presented to convey core brand attributes such as family values and that he was
hardworking and interested in hockey (Marland 2014).
Communicating the leader and candidate brand
32
The brand concept must reflect the input of the internal market to get support and
then a broad section of a party's leadership and membership. Once established
the party brand will function as a mechanism for co-ordinating the party's
activities. So brand coordinators must develop mechanisms through which they
test and gather feedback on working brand concepts from all stakeholders.
Brand Implementation
33
This passage discusses the importance of brand consistency and credibility in political
leadership, drawing from various sources to highlight key points:
1. Brand Promise and Delivery
2. Political Branding Challenges
3. Long-term Party Brand Building
Leader and candidate brand delivery
33
1. Market research
Parties must develop a clear understanding of the changing contours of the
public's opinion of itself; including past, current and future perceptions; and then
identify those segments of the public with which the party can relate and build a
lasting relationship.
2. Brand Design
The party should design and modify brand concepts in response to this research,
creating a brand based on market desires as well as the party's unique history
and political identity.
3. Brand Implementation
The brand concept must reflect the input of the internal market to get support and
then a broad section of a party's leadership and membership. Once established
the party brand will function as a mechanism for co-ordinating the party's
activities. So brand coordinators must develop mechanisms through which they
test and gather feedback on working brand concepts from all stakeholders.
4. Brand communication and management
The brand must become the main prism through which the party interacts with,
and is understood by, the public and be the vehicle through which the party will,
when necessary, reposition itself with its target audiences.
5. Brand Delivery
A party's brand, its promises, ideals and images must permeate the party's
behaviour and be delivered in government in order to create brand loyalty
Conley’s 5 Principles of Successful Party Branding
33
Parties must develop a clear understanding of the changing contours of the
public's opinion of itself; including past, current and future perceptions; and then
identify those segments of the public with which the party can relate and build a
lasting relationship.
Market research
33
Effective parties create narratives that resonate
emotionally with constituents, fostering loyalty and engagement.
Emotional Connection
34
A party's brand, its promises, ideals and images must permeate the party's
behaviour and be delivered in government in order to create brand loyalty
Brand Delivery
34
The party should design and modify brand concepts in response to this research,
creating a brand based on market desires as well as the party's unique history
and political identity.
Brand Design
34
The brand must become the main prism through which the party interacts with,
and is understood by, the public and be the vehicle through which the party will,
when necessary, reposition itself with its target audiences.
Brand communication and management
34
Party brand equity in campaigning and government refers to the perceived value and
reputation of a political party, which influences voter behavior and public perception.
High brand equity can enhance a party's ability to mobilize support, secure funding, and
attract candidates.
Party brand equity in campaigning and government
35
Parties leverage their brand equity to differentiate
themselves from opponents, highlighting unique values, policies, or historical
achievements
Strategic Positioning:
35
Successful campaigns use branding to communicate
key messages succinctly, often utilizing symbols, slogans, and visuals that
reinforce the party's identity.
Campaign Messaging
35
A strong party brand is recognizable and trusted, often
built through consistent messaging and a track record of governance.
Recognition and Trust
35
in political marketing, particularly within the context of U.S.
presidents and their branding efforts:
1. Connection Between Branding and Internal Political Marketing
2. Authenticity and Values
3. Presidential Policy Branding
4. Principles of Presidential Branding
Party Brand Personality
35
A well-established brand can help a party navigate crises
by maintaining public confidence and loyalty during challenging times.
Crisis Management
35
Brands - Labour would painstakingly work away and, 'oh, they can't pay for their
policies', and then the media would run a story saying, 'Labour's accused of
mucking up its numbers', and people would go, 'oh god, Labour's stuffed up
again', when we hadn't. And it's a really unfair playing field, but that's the nature
of it. Like you say, it's brand and brand is very hard to build and brand is very
hard to shake.
Branding parties
36
Grimmer and Grube (2017) assessed brand attributes of Australian political parties:
● Minor parties had high brand equity but low voter conversion.
● Major parties had strong brand association despite lower equity.
● Party heritage and behavior influenced brand perception.
Party brand consumer perception
36
Policy, government, and program branding are interconnected concepts essential for
effective governance
Policy, government and programme branding
37
Branding can be used to help gain support for leaders' policies, their government and
government programmes. US presidents have utilised branding to sell policies to
various stakeholders they need support from to get legislation passed; this includes
Congress but also lobbyists, the media and the public themselves. Barberio and Lowe
(2006) outline principles of presidential policy branding
Policy, government and programme branding
37
focuses on creating a distinct identity for government policies, utilizing
strategic communication to clarify objectives and engage the public. This involves
consistent messaging and visual elements that resonate with stakeholders, ultimately
enhancing understanding and support.
Policy branding
37
Movements might be able to utilize branding more easily than parties as they have a
more focused, niche market, and thus branding might empower non-party organizations
to compete with established political parties as they can use branding to generate
support quickly.
Political branding and movements
37
Maintaining a positive brand over time is very difficult. To enjoy continued success, or
manage a decline in brand perception, political brands need to be managed and
sometimes renewed. Freshness is important: Smith and French (2009, 218) note how
'there is a shelf-life with most brands'. However, rebranding is not easy in practice,
especially for parties who have long-standing brand heritage. Perceptions of former
leaders also impact on current party brands. Rebranding therefore includes
decontaminating negative brands,considering internal stakeholders and reconnecting in
government
Maintaining and rebranding political brands
37
encompasses the overall image of governmental institutions,
emphasizing their values, mission, and achievements. It aims to shape public
perception, build trust, and encourage citizen participation through effective public
relations and reputation management.
Government branding
37
● UK New Labour under Tony Blair (1994–1997):
● Canadian Conservatives under Stephen Harper:
● UK Conservatives under David Cameron:
Successful Rebranding Examples
37
Branding is also used to define and promote nations, regions and cities to attract
tourists, new residents and investors in the area.
A nation brand is how a country is seen in the minds of international stakeholders, and,
like party and leader brands, it may be influenced by a range of factors including the
place, culture, language, history, food, fashion, tourists' experiences, companies and
famous people from that nation such as celebrities, actors and athletes.
Nation branding is particularly important for countries with a historically unfavourable
image due to wars or poor human rights records, to remedy outdated images held by
the rest of the world.
Nation and city branding
37
targets specific government initiatives, aiming to attract public
interest and participation. It involves identifying the target audience, defining the
program's unique benefits, and implementing marketing strategies to promote
awareness and involvement.
Program branding
37
in political parties, focusing on how to remove
negative associations and rebuild a party's image:
1. Lingering Negative Brand Effects:
2. Importance of Removing Negative Associations
3. Sustained and Coherent Rebranding Efforts
Decontaminating Negative Brands
38
Pich et al. (2016) also argue that leaders need to take care to communicate new brand
values to members so that they can be clear as to the new brand identity, but also allow
enough flexibility in the communication strategy to enable locally-appropriate adjustment
to help retain internal stakeholder loyalty.Assessing the impact of internal stakeholders
on the rebranding of the UK Conservative Party brand by David Cameron in the lead up
to the 2010 election, Pich et al. note that Cameron's efforts to remove the 'nasty party'
label left some members feeling disconnected, even though Cameron's efforts as leader
were appreciated.
Internal stakeholders and rebranding
38
It is harder to rebrand in office than in opposition. Governing is not easy, and
misconduct or a crisis such as questions over MPs’ expenses, personal affairs or war
can tarnish and threaten the integrity of the brand. Furthermore, brands need to delivery
marketing chapter will demonstrate, is not easy. White and de Chernatony (2002, 50)
observed how the UK New Labour/ Tony Blair brand offered in 1997 ‘came to be
devalued when some of the important promises made were not delivered, creating
negative feelings towards the whole brand. Yet rebranding in office has to be done
under significant constraints: politicians cannot redesign and relaunch a completely new
brand because one already exists.
Market-research-informed reconnecting in government
39
Branding is a commonly understood term in society,
and political branding is a significant area of practice. Nevertheless, 'branding
coordinator' is rarely a title you will find in political job ads. Like the topic, political
branding practice interlinks with political market research, strategy and communication.
Political branding in the workplace
