There is considerable turmoil in the world of politics today. While on the one hand US President Donald Trump, who assumed power after a surprising win, is facing tough criticism for some of his decisions, in Tamil Nadu, VK Sasikala has created quite a stir by almost electing herself to the Chief Minister’s post.
One would have thought that a leadership position in politics — whether it is the President of the US or the CM of Tamil Nadu — needs to be preceded by years of serious brand-building.
It is true, however, that brands can be built for the short term or for the long term. The classical 4 Ps of marketing can be seen in the context of building a politician’s brand too. This article aims to understand what could be the ways in which political leaders follow the 4P formula to build their equity in the minds of the people.
Product
The first P is Product — in this case, the person himself or herself, and what he or she offers. What is the premise of the politician’s stance? What is his ideology? How has he performed to further this in the past? Has there been an improvement in his product performance (in terms of policy implementation)?
Another key aspect of the product is its differentiation or uniqueness. Translated into a political context, does this politician significantly differ from his competitors in terms of content and/or delivery? These are some questions on the product front.
Price
The second P of marketing is Price. While there is no monetary transaction involved between the politician and the public (leaving aside the ‘buying out’ of voters!), price here mostly means the perceived value. It could also mean an opportunity cost for the public.
By electing one politician versus the other, the public is effectively saying they prefer one over another. This can be a costly choice and can turn out to be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on the politician’s performance.
Place
The third P, namely Place, is the constituency or the geography. This dictates the standing of the product and the chances of winning in a particular area. A familiar and strong location (place) is what politicians will pick to launch their own brand.
Place also offers benefits such as accessibility for the public; in other words, can the public reach out to their leader easily, will he/she be visible during times of crisis? Place is a strategic choice to be made by politicians and often signals the party’s confidence in the particular politician as far as that geography is concerned.
Promotion
The final P is Promotion. Here is where politicians have probably redefined and created many new norms. Right from Barack Obama’s campaign of 2012, during which he used social media extensively, to Modi’s last national elections, all have witnessed the savvy and extensive use of media and promotions.
Many lessons have been learnt from these campaigns, and case studies created at B-schools across the world. Promotions in terms of incentives, communications, advertising, offers — all these have been done for these politician celebrities. Of course, as in any sound marketing strategy, promotions do not work in the long run if the product does not perform.
A politician as a brand is a complex phenomenon and, unless all four Ps are synergised to work together, the outcome will not be effective.