Suggestions and examples of the sorts of books we are looking for

Books could cover any of the topics outlined in the scope, but below are some suggestions along with an explanation about the different types. Please note this is not exhaustive, and most suggestions tend to be marketing-linked because that literature is more established than the management aspects (something we hope to change with the series!). So we will consider non-marketing topics. If you have an idea and think it fits into the series, regardless of whether it is listed below, please get in touch!

Topic focused books

The following areas illustrate the kinds of topics books in the series might cover:

  • Political market intelligence: research tools used in politics (polling, focus groups, role play, co-creation, consultation etc), segmentation, voter profiling, stakeholder insight, voter insight, experimentation, analytics and modeling.
  • The Political Consumer: rising consumerist attitudes amongst citizens towards politicians; consumer behaviour theories applied to politics to understand voter behaviour; drivers of voter choice; electoral commission work to increase political participation using marketing.
  • Political management: management theories applied to managing staff and relationships in a government department or agency, PM’s office, parliament, party office and campaign. Aspects might include crisis management, change management, issues management, political event management, reputation management, delivery management, political human resource management, relationship management and stakeholder management/engagement. Focus might be on the political-public service interface, cohesion within the government party, managing the caucus and party donors, and exploring parliamentary arenas and behavior.
  • Political advising: the work of anyone advising a politician or political organization, such as ministerial, parliamentary or constituency staff advisors in government or opposition, civil servants, consultants, market researchers, pollsters, strategists, advertisers.
  • Political strategy: creation and achievement of goals, strategic models and approaches, positioning, targeting, market-orientation, political branding, the politics of policy making and governing; marketing control and analysis.
  • Political leadership: collaborative leadership, appreciative leadership, adaptive leadership to politics, personalized leadership, political oratory and rhetoric, leadership in networked political organizations, distributed political leadership at different levels of political organizations, followers and followership styles; strategic leadership, decision making; and analysis of the core executive.
  • Political Organisation: volunteer/party management, managing a political office, political HR, conflict management, internal party marketing, membership relationship management, GOTV, relationship marketing to members, new organizational forms in democracy, training, resource management (finance/fund raising, people), information management, planning, policy implementation/delivery; grassroots organisation.
  • Political communication management: management communication theories applied to politics, such as public relations, strategic communications and e-marketing.
  • Ethics and challenges in political management – balancing principle and pragmatism, the need to adapt management concepts and tools to the political environment and the democratic implications of managing politics.

Election-focused books

We would particularly welcome proposals for books on political marketing and management in particular elections, for example UK 2015, Canada 2015, US 2016, Australia 2016, New Zealand 2014. The Pivot format will enable hot off the press political marketing and management perspectives on major events such as elections. There could be a book for each US, Canadian, NZ, Australian, French, German election etc. Combining academic and practitioner contributions, this would provide a rich, topical yet reflective and informed perspective on major events.

Regarding types of books, please note:

  • our desire to include political management not just marketing (e.g. organisational, office staff, leadership) where possible and appropriate.
  • the need to make sure it’s not just campaign management, and it should include consideration of political marketing and management in government. Policy can also be brought in.
  • it should be distinct from other election books and as with all books for the series, have marketing/management/strategy/leadership dimensions, adapting the marketing and management business literature.

Market not just producer focused

Books can also focus on the user/public/voter/market end e.g. ‘Political Consumer behaviour’; ‘Understanding party members’; ‘Segmenting the market’; ‘Profiling voters in elections’ and include a range of data e.g. Vote compass, big data, and qualitative data.

Country focused books

There are now books on political marketing in the US, Canada and the UK. We will welcome books on political marketing and management in other countries, and will consider books on all countries around the world including developing democracies. However please note that:

  • practice and research into political marketing and management has to be sufficiently developed to enable this.
  • the market for these will also be less developed – anything on the US everyone wants to read; but not everyone in the US wants to read something on smaller lesser well known and developed countries.
  • authors should do research and make the case for the market in their proposal.
  • also make the argument for the intellectual benefits that would come from publishing the book e.g. it should lead to courses being taught, a group/association being founded etc. so the market would be grown by the book.
  • consider grouping countries into regions to expand the market e.g. Political marketing and management in Asia/Latin American.
  • consider books that include comparative analysis e.g. ‘Marketing presidents: the case of Obama and x president in Bolivia.’
  • consider placing books that focus on one country within an international context e.g. ‘How x president in x country copied US president Obama.’