Something to Think About

01/16/08 Business Week by John Quelch

Politicians need to do what consumer companies do: Focus on customer needs, develop solutions, inform interested citizens, and make them easily accessible.

For all the coverage of the Presidential primaries, only half of eligible voters will likely cast ballots in November. While 20% of U.S. adults are political junkies, the rest can't spare the time, don't think their vote will matter, see no important differences among the candidates, or are turned off by the electoral process and candidates' campaign tactics.  There are five structural reasons why this is the case. 

1.  In U.S. general elections, voters usually see only two viable candidates on the ballot. That's one reason turnout is low. In any other product category, there are many more choices. As a result, consumer interest—and consumption—is higher.

2.  In representative democracies, the consumer has to live with the majority decision. That also dampens enthusiasm. Not so in commerce. You can buy or own whichever brand you wish.

3.  In U.S. politics, citizens vote on a specified date once every two, four or six years. Maybe they have to register in advance, wait in line at the polling station, and use an out-of-date polling machine to do so. The commercial marketplace is much more convenient. Consumers can cast their votes at millions of points-of-purchase every day.

4.   Some politicians understand that Branding 101 requires the development of a distinctive, appealing message, delivered consistently over time. But politicians can't win by targeting a single niche segment. They have to win a majority on Election Day, and doing so often means parsing words, trying to have it both ways, and allegedly flip-flopping on issues. In addition, the winner-takes-all system often leads candidates to desperate tactics such as negative advertising to tear down their opponents rather than promoting their own virtues.

5.   A final reason for consumer indifference to politics may be the effectiveness of commercial marketing. Most consumers have stronger relationships with brands than with their elected representatives or the umbrella political brands, Democrat or Republican.

What's needed in politics is not less marketing but better marketing: focusing on current and emerging customer needs, developing product and service solutions, informing interested citizens about them and making them easily accessible. Politicians need to view citizens not as occasional voters, donors and taxpayers but as their customers.