The importance of combining two major concepts, such as politics and advertising, motivated the creation of the Specialization in Political Marketing , awarded by the European University of the Atlantic (UNEATLANTICO) , belonging to the FUNIBER collaboration network .
Reputation is a key factor in political marketing. Advisors must create a public image of the candidate that is in line with the message they want to convey.
Sometimes this image can be completely distorted. This was the case in the 1970s with a candidate for the US Senate, Richard Ottinger, whose public image did not match reality.
In this interview, Hadit Pamela Brito , a professor of gambling data turkey the specialization , explains concepts related to political marketing and the different professional opportunities available to students in the program.
How would you define political branding?
Political branding can be conceived as the link between advertising strategy and politics. Its purpose is to study political campaigns, using a set of research, planning, management and communication techniques, so that these can be used in the creation of the design and execution of tactical actions in partisan campaigns. This seeks to create differentiation and also audience engagement to position and add value to the figure of the political candidate.
What aspects influence the reputation of a political leader?
Reputation is a key factor: you may be the best candidate, but the audience's perception must be in line with the figure of the political leader. The message that he wants to convey in the campaign must be compatible with his actions so that he conveys coherence between what he does and what he preaches.
Values such as integrity and justice are important qualities in a political figure, as they allow us to determine whether there is a link between what is promised and what is carried out. Efficiency, transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption are some of the factors that determine reputation.
In short, this is an intangible that depends on several factors, since on the one hand it focuses on perception and on the other, on the experiences of multiple stakeholders with said leader.
What steps should be taken to restore a politician's public image?
In politics, the image is a means and instrument, which is forged as a method to strategically access the mind of the audience, and with this achieve the attainment of the objectives set, if we manage to project it effectively.
Political image is a process that goes hand in hand with what the audience expects to find in a political figure and that this is projected in an integral manner and that it is also coherent, attractive, successful and trustworthy, but laying its foundations in knowing how to identify what were the constitutive elements of collective public opinion whose result are value judgments among citizens defined as perceivers.
Based on this analysis, it is concluded that the public image of a politician will be shaped by what the electorate expects him to reflect.
Social media has changed the way the public and politicians interact. What changes do you foresee in the future with continued digitalisation?
Nowadays, it is important to have a presence on social media. These have contributed to making the figure of the politician feel closer and, in a certain way, more accessible. With the constant change and growth of digitalization, it is becoming perennial for the politician to maintain a presence on these networks and evolve in accordance with these advances.
Following current trends, the use of social media in political communication is expected to be essential. The use of social media allows the public to obtain more information about politics.
The symptoms that a candidate displays when he publicly pretends to be something he is not in order to gain the support of citizens are known as “ Ottinger syndrome .” What risks should a political leader’s advisors take into account when using this type of technique?
Today's populations are quite perceptive, which is why I previously emphasized the coherence between what is done and what is said. It is a double-edged sword, creating an image to gain the support of the electorate and for this to not be congruent with the candidate's natural form. If there is no synergy between who he is and what he preaches, it will noticeably affect his reputation and public image, and if this happens, instead of obtaining acceptance, what he will receive is the rejection of the citizens.
A vital job for political consultants is to conduct an exhaustive investigation of the candidate. It is an arduous task in which the candidate's image must be carefully evaluated, to find out whether or not he or she is accepted and what innate virtues he or she possesses that can be projected in the light of what has previously been investigated about the candidate's electorate.
I repeat, it is extremely important to maintain coherence in everything. The people have a memory and in a highly media-driven society it is very easy for a candidate to be discovered in his lie.
Nowadays, political marketing is not only linked to the electoral campaign of a political party. In what other tasks or institutions is it useful?
Certainly, political marketing is not only linked to an electoral campaign, it is also applied to other areas such as, for example, for the management of the image of public institutions, political parties, public relations and official protocol, among others.
What professionals is the Specialization in Political Marketing aimed at?
The Specialization in Political Marketing is aimed at professionals from different areas, with or without experience in the sector, who wish to expand and consolidate their knowledge of political marketing or who intend to direct their professional career towards this discipline.
This specialization is aimed at professionals from the field of marketing and communication and, in general, social sciences, administration sciences, management sciences and economics, among others. For these professionals, the Specialization in Political Marketing will be an ideal complement to enrich their training or simply serve to update their knowledge, acquire new skills, and in general, be in line with what this sector demands today.
