Spin v Branding permanent campaigning and impression management Lecture 6

“ Governing is turning into a perpetual campaign” (Blumenthal, The permanent campaign, 1980) “ Everyday is Election day” (Hugh Heclo, Campaigning and Governing, in Ormstein & Mann, 2000) Campaigning is… “the political ideology of our age” (Blumenthal, 1980)

“ Governing is turning into a perpetual campaign”

(Blumenthal, The permanent campaign, 1980)

“ Everyday is Election day”

(Hugh Heclo, Campaigning and Governing, in Ormstein & Mann, 2000)

Campaigning is… “the political ideology of our age” (Blumenthal, 1980)

After an Election Once about getting on with government “ Today is day one of the campaign to win a second term – don’t let one of you forget that” (Blair, speech to new MPs, May 8 th 1997 Interview with Paul Marsden 2001) “ telling the truth doesn’t get you elected and we are in politics to get elected not scratch around being nice and hoping everyone will be nice to us” (Karl Rove, reflecting on Bush and Enron scandal)

Once about getting on with government

“ Today is day one of the campaign to win a second term – don’t let one of you forget that”

(Blair, speech to new MPs, May 8 th 1997 Interview with Paul Marsden 2001)

“ telling the truth doesn’t get you elected and we are in politics to get elected not scratch around being nice and hoping everyone will be nice to us”

(Karl Rove, reflecting on Bush and Enron scandal)

1976 + all that Dealignment Economic / Rational Choice Mistrust in the US presidency Nixon and Ford the ‘bandaid’ president Need to be permanently vigilant! Pat Cadell, Carter’s marketing guru

Dealignment

Economic / Rational Choice

Mistrust in the US presidency

Nixon and Ford the ‘bandaid’ president

Need to be permanently vigilant!

Pat Cadell, Carter’s marketing guru

Ron Peters (2002) Why US Senators must campaign constantly www.ou.edu/special/albertctr/extensions/spring2002/Intro.html Realignment of parties Voters need to know of and understand shifts Dealignment of voters Need to seek voters daily, not every 4 years Technology Media demands / Making up news To gain funding Sponsors need courting too – PR!!

Realignment of parties

Voters need to know of and understand shifts

Dealignment of voters

Need to seek voters daily, not every 4 years

Technology

Media demands / Making up news

To gain funding

Sponsors need courting too – PR!!

Ormstein & Mann The permanent campaign & its future (2000) Rise of interest groups Sap strength of electoral organisations Fragility of government Marginal seats Dramatic shifts in public opinion Mid-term reaction can be permanent

Rise of interest groups

Sap strength of electoral organisations

Fragility of government

Marginal seats

Dramatic shifts in public opinion

Mid-term reaction can be permanent

How politics has changed

How politics has changed

How politics has changed

This means that… The leader’s image The party’s image The ideas & beliefs The policies The communication Must be positive, consistent and constant “ every communication does something to the brand image – if you can control it, then it must all be positive” (Barry Goldwater)

The leader’s image

The party’s image

The ideas & beliefs

The policies

The communication

Must be positive, consistent and constant

“ every communication does something to the brand image – if you can control it, then it must all be positive” (Barry Goldwater)

A party as brand Ideology (Ethos & Values) Product (People & Policy) Communication (messages, imagery and symbols) Communication covers all aspects and so must be positive, if not it damages the overall perception

The Media and branding “ if you don’t provide a story, some damn journalist will make one up” (John Chen, consultant to Clinton, speech 2003) A party must “coordinate all forms of communication in a seven days a week news cycle” (Thurber, 2002)

“ if you don’t provide a story, some damn journalist will make one up”

(John Chen, consultant to Clinton, speech 2003)

A party must “coordinate all forms of communication in a seven days a week news cycle”

(Thurber, 2002)

The public demand The big picture Easily convinced by media reporting Hypodermic effect of negative frames Cynical of political communication Gap between rhetoric and reality Greater demand for responsive government

The big picture

Easily convinced by media reporting

Hypodermic effect of negative frames

Cynical of political communication

Gap between rhetoric and reality

Greater demand for responsive government

Gauging how to campaign Research among voters Focus groups Measuring perceptions Assessing how to reinforce/change them Opinion polls Gauging the mood Often related to political salesmanship

Research among voters

Focus groups

Measuring perceptions

Assessing how to reinforce/change them

Opinion polls

Gauging the mood

Often related to political salesmanship

Problems with permanent campaigning Short-termism Governing is a series of mini campaigns Adversarial Parties compete to set agenda Persuasion Political communication = propaganda

Short-termism

Governing is a series of mini campaigns

Adversarial

Parties compete to set agenda

Persuasion

Political communication = propaganda

The UK permanent campaign Designed to strengthen the party Claims to legitimise politics Makes the leader pivotal Can drive the news agenda To report campaigning activities - positive To thwart spin-doctor’s efforts - negative Has changed how politics is done (Norris, A Virtuous Circle, 2000)

Designed to strengthen the party

Claims to legitimise politics

Makes the leader pivotal

Can drive the news agenda

To report campaigning activities - positive

To thwart spin-doctor’s efforts - negative

Has changed how politics is done

(Norris, A Virtuous Circle, 2000)

The nature of permanent campaigning in the UK Constantly evolving Seeking the edge Targeting a range of audiences Narrowcasting Daily news management Negative advertising On message communication at all levels

Constantly evolving

Seeking the edge

Targeting a range of audiences

Narrowcasting

Daily news management

Negative advertising

On message communication at all levels

A feature of New Labour’s history Permanent reinvention Strong defence against anti-Labour media Commitment to a market-orientation Fear of losing Drive to win the 2 nd full term of office (Philip Gould, ‘What permanent campaign’, BBC News, 21/11/02)

Permanent reinvention

Strong defence against anti-Labour media

Commitment to a market-orientation

Fear of losing

Drive to win the 2 nd full term of office

(Philip Gould, ‘What permanent campaign’, BBC News, 21/11/02)

The limits to success The Media Cohesiveness of the party Internal v external campaigning Efficiency of permanent rapid rebuttal Public perception Point scoring = childishness Blurring of truth/accuracy = cynicism

The Media

Cohesiveness of the party

Internal v external campaigning

Efficiency of permanent rapid rebuttal

Public perception

Point scoring = childishness

Blurring of truth/accuracy = cynicism

Does it work? Wedge issues don’t just separate the parties Spin confuses voters Protracted war hinders effective politics lack of continuity Policies defined by political purposes People reject politics See Mandelson, The Blair revolution Revisited, Politicos, 2002.

Wedge issues don’t just separate the parties

Spin confuses voters

Protracted war hinders effective politics

lack of continuity

Policies defined by political purposes

People reject politics

See Mandelson, The Blair revolution Revisited, Politicos, 2002.

Local permanent campaigning Favours the incumbent (Steger, In Newman, Handbook of Political Marketing, 1999) Reliant on the local paper (Lilleker & Negrine, in Journalism Studies 2002) Image of effective representation (Lilleker & Negrine, in Journal of Political Marketing 2003) Can cause conflict with the centre (Franklin & Richardson, in Journal of Political Marketing 2002)

Favours the incumbent

(Steger, In Newman, Handbook of Political Marketing, 1999)

Reliant on the local paper

(Lilleker & Negrine, in Journalism Studies 2002)

Image of effective representation

(Lilleker & Negrine, in Journal of Political Marketing 2003)

Can cause conflict with the centre

(Franklin & Richardson, in Journal of Political Marketing 2002)

Local dimension important Where permanent campaigning is positive Effective representation Must be backed by party image and legislative agenda setting (Barbara Sinclair, US Senator, Extensions, Spring 2002) Working for public consumption enhances democracy But can conflict with role of effective governance

Where permanent campaigning is positive

Effective representation

Must be backed by party image and legislative agenda setting

(Barbara Sinclair, US Senator, Extensions, Spring 2002)

Working for public consumption enhances democracy

But can conflict with role of effective governance

Thoughts Public + Media make it necessary If you’re not in the news you’re dead Yah-Boo politics boring and unedifying When parties agree, opposition ineffective Iraq War

Public + Media make it necessary

If you’re not in the news you’re dead

Yah-Boo politics boring and unedifying

When parties agree, opposition ineffective

Iraq War