Is there a discipline called "Political Marketing"

"Son, I heard about Marketing, B2B Marketing, B2C Marketing, Digital Marketing, and so on, but what is this "Political Marketing" ...... From the moment my son heard about Political Action Committees (PAC) and all the fancy things he fixed his mind on becoming a political marketer and strategist ...... is there a discipline like this in Management. If yes, will they get paid good?".

These were the questions my uncle asked few days back. And, not just like my uncle, there are many who are having a doubt "is there a discipline called Political Marketing".

Yes, there is a subject called "Political Marketing" and there is a good scope in this field. If you observe, Political Marketing has become a fundamental part of political life. In this technologically advanced world without Political Marketer and Strategist politicians and leaders are not moving a muscle. 

Previously no one knew a concept like this existed, thanks to media and media discussions the term political marketing is slowly making its way into the hearts and minds of students and the public. It is nice to see how students and marketers are focusing on making a career in this field but what is creating a sense of worry is, many started to think "With basic knowledge of marketing we can become political marketers and strategists like Mr. Prashant Kishor (Indian Political Strategist). It is easy to convince both people and politicians with fancy terms and statistics. We can start our own Political Action Committee". 

Well, starting a Political Action Committee or a Strategy firm is easy but what you do next is really important. To an extent having basics of Marketing and Strategy will help you but Political Marketing is not as easy as it looks. 

First let us understand Political Marketing and then decide

Origin of Political Marketing? 

Political Marketing is an exciting new area and it has a good scope. Less than a decade ago, "Political Marketing" was a phrase seldom found in academic journals. The first use of the term political marketing has been attributed to political scientist Stanley Kelley in his book on Professional Public Relations and Political Powers (Kelly 1956, cited under core texts, p.53), in which he describes the growing importance of "the public relations man" (p.vii) in political campaigns. Thus, Kelley’s book was also an early account of the rise of the new profession of political consultants and the increasing differentiation of campaign tasks. However, it took more than fifteen years until political marketing became gradually acknowledged as a new perspective in the field, and marketing experts such as Philip Kotler promoted the incorporation of the marketing of organisations, persons, and ideas into marketing thought and theory. 

So, What is Political Marketing then?

As per the scholars "Political Marketing is the process by which leaders or politicians promote themselves, their ideas, and their vision to voters through a masterly crafted message aimed at gaining public support". 

There are few who believe till date there is no definite answer to this field as there is a broad and expanding literature connected to political marketing and communication, but still they accept this statement. 

Similarities between Business Marketing and Political Marketing

As a marketer (business marketer) you may think that marketing techniques and strategies are enough but the truth is, it is not. I agree there are many similarities between political marketing and business marketing but there are also few differences that set the subject apart. The primary and most important difference between business marketing and political marketing is that the latter is used to raise awareness and inform public about critical issues and leadership choices within their community, constituency, state, and country.

There are many concepts and tool that are shared by business marketing and political marketing, for example, some well-known concepts are

• Consumer Behaviour
• Market Segmentation
• Image and Image management
• Brand and Brand loyalty
• Product Concept
• Product Positioning

A cursory comparison between business marketing and political marketing would readily point at "Promotion".

What do you need to become a Political Marketer or Strategist?

To be a political marketer or strategist you need to have an understanding of political science literature as well as management studies. Most importantly, you need to have a comprehensive approach, commitment, and patience. 

End Note:

In a nutshell, political marketing is about spreading a message and informing the public about the politicians, their ideas, and their vision to voters aimed at gaining public support.