“Politicians are merely a product to be dressed up and marketed to consumers”

MARKETING TIPS

by Ken Mitchell

With the coming elections it is interesting to relate marketing to politics.   Over the next few months leading up to the Federal and ACT elections we are going to see politicians, and would-be politicians, going on radio and TV and jumping in front of every camera opportunity.   In addition they will issue press releases, distribute leaflets in letterbox drops, advertise in the papers, etc.  

Marketing is about the 4P’s :-  Product, Price, Place, Promotion.   They will try to explain their product (policies and what they stand for) in terms of positioning compared with other candidates/parties.   They will dress and conduct themselves in a “best foot forward” manner to reflect what they want to appear to be (perceptions guided by “spin-doctors”).   They will discuss price in not so much in terms of actual expenditure, but in marginal terms of where their policies will cost less than their opposition and the social impact relativities involved.   They will use various place (distribution) alliances.   As for promotion they will get far greater exposure on free to air news and current affairs programs than paid advertising.   Their success in this regard will be enhanced by being readily available for interviews (live and recorded).   They will try to brand themselves with their party name, or if independent then with their own name, and have their brand name repeated in the media as often as possible to aid recall.

In essence they will try to position themselves as “top of mind” in the electors mind so that electors will feel more favourably toward them than the alternatives and accordingly win the vote.   The theory is that the better they market themselves the better the will fair.   The AIDA model is that Awareness leads to Interest, leads to Desire, leads to Action - a vote.

Sit back from the sidelines and view the political material presented in the market place and make your interpretation of candidates and what they supposedly stand for.   The ACT electorate is a well-educated and informed market place.   ACT voters better understand than most that when the election is over the politicians will probably stop kissing babies and revert back to who they really are.   When all is said and done, politicians are merely a product to be dressed up and marketed to consumers.  

Enjoy the coming ride.

Ken Mitchell is the CEO of Australian Marketing & Research Services and can be contacted on 62576677w, or kenmitch@austarmetro.com.au