On the Horizon: Political Marketing. “You may not deal with politics, but sooner or later politics will start dealing with you.”

“You may not deal with politics, but sooner or later politics will start dealing with you.” -Rafal Stepnowski, Director of Government Affairs at Boeing.??

The focus on politics means that we have failed to achieve the Golden Ratio.

Marketing and politics are very separate disciplines, but they have more in common and more impact on each other than one would think.

On the one hand, we all know that Marketing deals with the sale of goods and services.?

On the other hand, Political Communication is focused on the sale of ideas, from political visions and narratives to the personal image of the political leader, her/his values and beliefs.

Changes in the nature of political communications have meant that before you need to generate and share key messages, you need to know and apply the whole arsenal of traditional marketing tools and measurements - market segmentation, target audience selection, positioning and branding, market shares, "distribution", "sales" support activities, communication policies related to how, by what means and through whom to market, KPIs.

In simple terms, the fundamental changes in political communications show that they are becoming more "market-driven" - pre-market analysis, testing, targeting, measurement, etc.

Government Relations consultants and Political Communication professionals today must balance not only lobbying for business and negotiating with government officials and society but also master the full toolkit of marketers for their campaign success.

Probably soon we will see the birth of a new profession as political marketers who will combine knowledge in lobbying, political landscape, political science, along with knowledge of marketing tools and public relations.

Where Political and Traditional Marketing Are Separated

While there are differences in the branding of politicians or public officials and the methods of brand promotion, and voting, unlike buying, does not involve individual costs, all voters have to live with their " purchase."

"Products" in political marketing are complex and competition is higher for "new players in the marketplace" of different cross-cultural contexts, institutional and cultural systems.

Political marketing and GR include examining the ideology of certain parties and businesses, identifying emerging issues and potential impact on clients, assessing and managing political risk, developing policy positions and proposals, and providing strategic and crisis communications.

Some landscape insights to think about

1. Creativity

Changing direct slogans and strategies to more creative ones to showcase politicians' values, a focus on understanding, reflecting and valuing public interaction. Stand out, get attention, and offer constructive solutions to problems in the community.

2. Long-term strategies and local politicians

The growth of local and regional media as a relevant source of public information is a signal of the need for politicians, political communicators and government relations consultants to collaborate and build teams with the same representatives at the regional level.

We are already seeing greater influence and trust in "secondary" regional politicians and local government representatives, better engaging more supporters than national politicians or government officials.

Longer-term strategies should include political statements and decisions that mention the voice of regional politicians, as well as continued work on issues such as women's rights, climate change, economic inequality, retraining of the workforce

3. Business and Government

The key issue for politicians and public officials remains transparency and more influence on public opinion.

Businesses need to consider the public's voice, the impact of actions and legislative changes on their target audience, and build a corporate social responsibility policy when making their engagement plan with the government.?

The presence of public support and public opinion will give a voice to all stakeholders in the political and business landscape.

Government institutions, both national and regional, need to view every proposal received from businesses as an opportunity to eliminate monopoly, make legislative amendments, and improve the basis for consumer protection.

According to 2022, Edelman Trust Barometer businesses have 61% as the most trusted institutions, NGOs - 59%, government -52% and the media -only 50% from the society.

77% of respondents trust "My Employer," which makes the employer-employee relationship incredibly important to politicians and government officials.

4. Digitalization

This trend has opened up new opportunities for reaching previously unused audiences and for broader coverage of the narratives, solutions and promotion of personal brands of politicians and public officials.

As companies hurry to find new ways to engage customers, political communicators are following in their footsteps and learning from their experiences.?

Being able to increase engagement through online conferences, social media allows us to engage more transparently with our local communities. It's a very positive experience.

Getting ideas from social media is the best tool to resonate with more voices.

E-Governance, E-Government and digital services offered by the Government have become more popular during the pandemic and have quickly become familiar to us, along with the term E-Commerce.

Two years with Covid and remote communication and work has forced government officials to completely change their online behaviour. Official personal accounts are family photo albums as well, demonstrating high transparency, fast communication and focus on current public demands and current events.

E-Government and e-public services are highly valued by businesses and the public because they make interaction and access to services faster and more transparent.

5. MEDIA

In general, it is also important to understand that digitalization or globalization affects the approaches of political communicators and their interactions with the whole ecosystem - citizens, media, civil society, civil servants and politicians.

As media become more digital, and thus more powerful, increasing in coverage and influence, the regular audience for television is declining, while the audience for online news is growing.

Fake news is a cause for concern and is at an all-time high today. Concerns about fake news or false information being used as a weapon are at 76% among respondents according to the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer.

Nearly one in two respondents view the Government and the Media as divisive forces in society - 48% and 46%, respectively. Moreover, government leaders and journalists are considered the least trusted leaders in society today, with less than half of respondents trusting either of them (government leaders at 42% and journalists at 46%).

Exceptionally from a politician's perspective, this environment creates an incentive to spend more time and money on digital marketing, digital advertising.

CONCLUSION

One of the lessons learned from COVID-19 is the need to better navigate horizons and increase sustainability.

The emergence of political marketing is an alliance of best practices that have been transformed by digitalization, globalization and the pandemic.

It allows politicians and government officials, as well as GR consultants, Political Communication professionals and Political Marketers to be more consistent, more transparent, better understand, communicate and listen to the public.