Political Marketing: principles and applications is the first comprehensive textbook to focus on political marketing, and introduces students to how candidates, parties, elected officials and governments around the world utilise marketing concepts and tools win elections and remain in office. Drawing on the latest theoretical work and providing the broadest collation of international political marketing research available, this text:

  • Examines a wide range of political marketing topics including the rise of the political consumer, market intelligence and segmentation, opposition research, e-marketing, direct mail, market-orientation and strategy, internal marketing, product re-development, branding, local political marketing, marketing in government, delivery and global knowledge transfer.
  • Analyses the implications of political marketing for democracy – are we happy to be ‘citizen-consumers’?
  • Features over 40 case studies written by international specialists in over 20 countries, and practitioner perspectives from those currently engaged in political marketing.
  • Illustrates theories with clear examples integrated with topical discussion points, and provides essay and applied assessment suggestions in each chapter.

Presented in a clear and engaging style, this textbook offers sophisticated understanding of this exciting new area. It is essential reading for all students of political marketing, parties and elections and comparative politics.

‘Lees-Marshment is one of the leading scholars in political marketing, and it shows in this comprehensive introduction and analysis of political marketing as theory and practice. For anyone interested in political marketing, this is a must-read’ (Jesper Strömbäck, Professor of Media and Communication, Mid-Sweden University and co-editor with Lynda Lee Kaid of The Handbook of Election News Coverage Around the World, Routledge 2008).

‘This is a wide-ranging and engrossing introduction to a field that, despite its central importance to much of modern political activity, is still too little understood by all but the initiated minority’ (Roger Mortimore, Director of Political Analysis Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute and co-author of explaining Explaining Labour’s Landslip (Politicos 2005) and co-editor of Political Communications: the general election campaign of 2005 (Palgrave MacMillan 2005).

‘Jennifer Lees-Marshment has written an exceptional, much-needed study on political marketing.  Its mixture of marketing theory, applied politics, and pithy case studies makes this an invaluable addition to our understanding of campaigns, elections, and politicking.’ (Dennis W. Johnson, Professor of Political Management, The George Washington University, and editor of Campaigning for President 2008 Routledge 2009)

Political Marketing: principles and applications was published in July 2009 (ISBN: 978-0-415-43129-3): see http://www.routledgepolitics.com/books/Political-Marketing-isbn9780415431293. There is a hard copy and e-book version.

The book was also translated into Greek by Danis Kotzaivazoglou and published by University Studio Press in 2013.

PM text 1e Greek edition

Contents

List of short case studies and author details

Post-publication comments

‘I have recently bought your book, Political Marketing. The book is excelent, very good in setting the scene, very clear in presenting the subject.’ (Umit Atalay, Turkey, November 2010)

‘Since I’ve been using a book that you wrote, “Political Marketing – Principles and Applications”, I decided to write to congratulate you for the way the book is written, very clear and very accurate…I was already frustrated because there’s a lot of confusion between concepts like Political Marketing, Propaganda, Campaigning, Political Communication and even with Marketing in the public sector. So, since I needed a book that treated the subject of Political Marketing, and not a Marketing book that makes references to the subject your book came just in the right time.’ (Alexandre Luz (http://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandreluz), Portugal August 2010)

‘I am a political scientist and professor in Japan and have a keen interest in political marketing. While I started research with American marketing in presidential campaigns, I recently felt more inclined to examine the Japanese cases. Your new (2009) text has been a great guide to me in this sense, as it deals with marketing on the party basis and also gives us insights into the democratic implications’ (Noriko Hirabayashi, Saitama University, Japan, August 2010)

‘I am really enjoying your book Political Marketing: Principles and Applications’ (Michael Morgan, Australian practitioner, January 2010)

‘I read your new book on political marketing. Congratulations! This is the best book in the field by far!’ (Iordanis Kotzaivazoglou , Greece, July 2009)