In TVNZ

PMNN network meetingI have an active group of research students. Check out this video with MA student Tom James.

We meet regularly both professionally and socially, including watching live leader debates at TVNZ and going to campaign launches in the 2014 and 2017 elections. In 2015 we formed the Political Marketing and Management Network. Former research students have gone on to work in government in ministers offices, government departments, councils and market research companies.

Comments from research students about the overall experiential learning environment

  • ‘I wrote a report on NZ’s brand as part of one of your honours papers a few years ago, and now I’m doing some work with Tourism New Zealand helping to refine it…I’m also managing the Northcote by-election for Labour and even getting paid for it, so one of your ex-students has become a paid political consultant!’ (Tom James, former UG and Masters student)
  • ‘Thanks to political marketing I’ve been a campaign manager; an intern; given input into reform’
  • ‘It’s opened a lot of doors for me’
  • ‘I got to present at the Global political marketing and management conference in Wellington…. it was really cool to be able to link the academic world with the real world…it’s exciting to be able to actually have something that could potentially be used by practitioners.’ (Tom James, faculty video interview)
  • ‘Your dedication to creating a fantastic and stimulating learning environment has made my time at the University of Auckland both socially and academically rich.’ (Rachael Crosby, Master’s thesis)

PhD

Ongoing

  • Luna (Liang) Zhao, Targeting Chinese voters: How New Zealand major parties (National and Labour) use political marketing to target Chinese New Zealanders (main supervisor)
  • Joyce Manyo, Designing and delivering the political brand promise in developing democracies: The case of Ghana (main supervisor; 2nd supervisor Mike Lee, Marketing)

Completed

  • Salma Usman Malik, Youth, Political Knowledge, and Election Campaigns: The Attitudes and Approaches of Political and Communication Elites in New Zealand (main supervisor) completed 2021.
  • Andrew Lim ‘Political Marketing and Nation Branding by New Zealand and Australian Advocacy Groups to Support Israeli and Palestinian Governmental Public Diplomacy’ (main supervisor) completed 2021.
  • Bey Widodo, Making Government Better: Managing Public Servants’ Attitudes to Reform (main supervisor) completed 2021.
  • Ziad Elsahn, Nation branding and international business (advisor) completed 2018
  • Edward Elder, A New Model of Communication for Market-Oriented Governing Leaders (main supervisor) completed 2015.


Chatting with Minister Steven Joyce Oct 2014 CROPPEDMasters theses

  • Ziena Jalil, Political leaders and nation branding at international events, 2018-2019, awarded first-class
  • James Barrett, Brand personality of party leaders in the NZ 2017 Election, February 2017 – 2018
  • Tom Seeman Implementing a Market-Orientation in the UK and NZ Labour Parties: How to Change the Party to Change the Country, with first-class honours, July 2014-January 2016
  • Rachael Crosby ‘Be friends with me! Online political relationship marketing: an analysis of Jacinda Ardern and Nikki Kaye’s use of Facebook accounts’ funded by the Jersey Bursary from the State of Jersey (GBP 10,000), July 2014-15
  • Renisa Maki, ‘The Portraits of the First Ladies – an art history and political marketing perspective’ with first-class honours, second supervisor with Erin Griffey from Art History, Feb 2014-15
  • Sophia Blair ‘Exploring whether online political marketing increase political participation in New Zealand (part-time)’ February 2011- December 2012
  • Phillip Wakefield ‘With or Without You: The Evolution of Marketing Orientated Leadership – The Case Study of John Key’ February 2011-February 2012
  • Laura Young ‘E-Consultation, Local Government and the OECD Scale of Participation: Achieving Active Participation?’ July 2010-11
  • Michelle Craig, ‘Reconciling electioneering and democracy: Synthesising political marketing and deliberative democracy to reconcile a framework for citizen consultation’, 2009
  • Andrea Garnham, Applying corporate reputation theory to political parties, co-supervised with Dr Liliana Erakovich, The Department of Management, part-time, The University of Auckland 2007-2009
  • Edward Elder ‘Rejuvenating a Flailing Market Oriented Government: A Comparative Perspective’ supervision taken over February 2010, thesis submitted June 2010

MBA/MSc Dissertations

  • MBA dissertations on marketing at Keele University, 2002-5
  • Grigorios Zontanos, MSc Marketing dissertation, Aberdeen University, 2001-2
  • Theodosia Theofili, MSc marketing dissertation The Beauty Industry, Aberdeen University, 2001-2

Masters of Public Policy Dissertations

  • Abdul Umrani ‘Crisis Management by Jacinda Arden And Justin Trudeau’ 2019
  • Marilyn H. Castino, How could the Philippine Government improve its Tourist Information and Assistance Centres? A study on the best practices that the Philippine Government can learn from New Zealand i-SITE Network of Visitor Information Centres, 2017
  • Vilecea Naidoo, Tourism Branding: The Nature and Effectiveness of Branding by the New Zealand Government to boost tourism, July 2015-2016

20140519_140148

Honours Dissertations

  • Zach Lee, Let’s Deliver This: Political Marketing Delivery under crisis and the case of the Labour Party in Government 2017-2020 – submitted November 2020
  • Sarah Goddard – submitted November 2020
  • Michelle Hurley, ‘Communicating as a market-oriented governing leader during pregnancy, birth, maternity leave and return to work’ 2018, first-class grade.
  • Heather du Plessis-Allan​ Power in the New Zealand Labour Party: Centralisation of Power as the Key to Implementing a Market Orientation, 2017
  • William Matthews Draining the swamp: The impact of authentic branding in the 2016 US Presidential election 2016-7
  • Danielle Parshotam Communication in Government: Applying the Market Orientated Governing Leaders’ Communication Model to Justin Trudeau and Theresa May 2016-7
  • Nick Calder, Message Management During The Global Financial Crisis: A Tale of Two Markets, 2015
  • James Barrett, Brand Personality and Electoral Success: An Analysis of the Ed Miliband and David Cameron in the 2015 UK General Election, 2015
  • Gabe Rodrigues, The Electoral Commission, turnout and political marketing communications, 2014
  • Lisa Kemp, Branding within government departments
  • Tom Seeman, Women Prime Ministers’ reputations and gendered political marketing strategy
  • Evan Szetco, Party internal marketing and welfare
  • Matthew Jackson, Branding Minor Parties
  • Ashlee Ruff, Political trust and public consultation
  • Melanie Tuala, Overcoming the Political marketing efficiency paradox: targeting and opposition safe seats
  • Phillip Wakefield, Someone like me? Political marketing as an aid for minority representation
  • Bailey Duggan, Sinn Fein’s use of political marketing: a model for minority parties seeking political representation?
  • Shawn Moodie, Report concerning the adaption of political marketing to aid long-term incumbency
  • Fraser Nicholas, Maintaining the Political brand: the case of New Labour
  • Michelle Craig,The Democratic Implications of the Use of Political Marketing Techniques in Policy Formation

Directed research papers

  • Danielle Parshotam ‘An analysis of the relaunching of the NZ National party brand under the leadership of Bill English’, 2017
  • Rachael Crosby, National’s application of crisis management techniques in dealing with the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake, 2013
  • Thomas James (Seeman), Everything Old is New Again: Japanese Political Marketing and the 2012 Election, 2013
  • Lisa Kemp, Delivery Communication in Government, 2013
  • Renisa Maki, Marketing Mayors: A Comparative Political Marketing Report on Graham Quirk and Len Brown, 2013
  • Matthew Jackson, Evaluating the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand’s strategy for expanding their market share in the 2011 General Election and beyond, 2012
  • Bailey Duggan, The strategic effectiveness of Howard and Rudd’s policy on the stolen generations, 2010
  • Damian McLeod, How do governments market new policies? 2010
  • Phillip Wakefield, The effectiveness of marketing in helping non-profit organisations attract, manage and retain volunteers, 2010
  • Shawn Moodie, Managing leaders’ reputation in government, 2010
  • Victoria Murray, The factors contributing to the success of the Tea Party movement in the United States, 2010
  • Glenn Lamont, Improbable Populist: Don Brash, National, and the 2005 Election, 2007
  • Randall Potter, Politics and the Rise of Political Marketing: Empowering the People or the Elite? 2007