Political Marketing

Marketing is the science of promoting services and products to consumers from producers. Within the scope of this concept is also included the study of the attitudes and preferences of consumers, the systematic application of the information received in order to create new services and goods.

Political marketing is a combination of actions applied to the tasks and goals of political struggle. This concept characterizes the activities aimed at the formation, change and maintenance of public attitudes towards certain parties, figures or movements in the sphere of politics.

Political marketing is widely used throughout election campaigns. According to experts, in the question of application it is necessary to adhere to certain principles. So, one should not reduce political marketing to one of the tasks of management in the election campaign. Important is also a clear understanding of the difference between this concept and propaganda, advertising.

According to some experts, subjects of the modern political market are more focused on "selling" their image to voters. In other words, remoteness from the modern marketing concept, proclaiming the guarantor of achieving organizational goals, "identifying the needs and needs of target markets and applying more efficient than competitive methods to satisfy consumers" is noted.

P. Lyndon defined political marketing as a set of methods and theories that are intended for use by public authorities and political organizations in determining their programs and goals while simultaneously influencing the behavior of the population.

Management and political marketing in terms of strategy has much in common with commercial management and marketing. The main difference between experts is that the former is more socially oriented than the latter. This, in turn, emphasizes the fact that political marketing attaches greater importance to the ideological aspect, to intangible values.

In addition, this activity has a certain complexity. Thus, a political association can not disclose one idea, despite all its possible attractiveness (for example, the change of power or the cancellation of any duty). In the minds of the population, programs and ideologies must be positioned. Otherwise, there is a certain short-sightedness in politics.

Considering the issue of leadership, political marketing distinguishes the following aspects:

1. Creation (formation) of the image of the leader.
2. Segmentation of the market. For one group of people, the qualities of a politician are attractive, while the same qualities may not fit into the views of another group about the political leader.
3. Positioning. This aspect indicates the need to determine the specific position occupied in a particular market segment.
4. Impact with the help of the media on the selected group. In this case, direct contact of the leader with supporters takes place, spreading their ideas through support groups. It should be noted that the means of influence can be not only the media, but also posters, slogans, leaflets and other forms.

Leadership in the conditions of civilized political marketing implies the observance of a certain system of rules. In accordance with them, the nominee is promoted to the power structures and fulfilling his powers. Thus, there is a personification of power through its merger with the personal qualities of the leader. According to the political scientist Mukhaev, the political leader has a decisive and permanent impact on the state, society, and organization.