Political marketing and Party development in Britain: a 'secret' history

During the 1992 general election analysts took great interest in scrutinising the work of once largely neglected party strategists. On one occasion a routine ITN lunchtime news item featuring presenter John Suchet and experienced Westminster based journalists Julia Langdon and Michael White ended a discussion on the now imminent campaign alluding to the supposed ability of the ‘marketing men’ to dictate the likely course of events. By no means an isolated event, such interchanges help highlight the way in which some of the most informed political commentators now view the modern electoral process. Nevertheless this view is not necessarily shared by the candidates, at least in public. Dennis Kavanagh has noted that leading politicians are often loathe to admit the important strategic role that marketing plays less it detracts from their own status or else upsets influential elements in the party[1]. For these and other reasons the history of political marketing in Britain cannot necessarily be found in official party sources.