Political Marketing and British Political Parties: The Party's Just Begun

Political parties today focus on the needs and wants of voters in the same way that businesses seek to serve consumers. Demonstrating how British political parties use sophisticated political marketing techniques to gain electoral success, Jennifer Lees-Marshment looks at how they conduct focus groups and opinion polls, then change their behavior and political stances in order to reflect their findings. She analyzes how parties in Britain now attempt to offer a complete product--including their leader, membership rights, and policies--to appeal to a majority of voters, rather than adhering to a political ideology and firm belief system.