Political marketing and governance: Moving towards the political partnership model of organization

As this book demonstrates, there have been significant changes in society that present a challenge to the power balance between the elites and the masses. Political elites need to be more responsive to the public as citizens become increasingly demanding of a say in the political process and want to feel politically empowered. This challenge to political power structures is accompanied with potential solutions: new technology enables interactive communication between politician and voter on a mass level, and politicians have utilized marketing tools from business to better understand and respond to consumerist citizens. As political marketing has become a key part of political practice, politicians have utilized marketing strategy, market-orientation, and branding concepts to design the political product to suit market demand.