The Political Marketing Revolution Transforming the Government of the UK

This book shows how British politics is being transformed from a leadership-run system to one dictated by public needs and demands. No longer confined to party politics, organizations including the monarchy, the BBC, universities, local councils, charities and the Scottish Parliament are adopting the tools of market intelligence to understand their market needs and demands.The political marketing revolution raises many questions, such as whether the student or patient really does know best and can decide his own education and health care. The book calls for a debate about the movement of the British political system towards a market-orientation and a re-negotiation of the relationship between leaders and the market. While recognizing the need for political leaders to listen, this debate places some responsibilities on the political consumer, looking to create a new relationship that might work more effectively for both sides.

Jennifer Lees-Marshment is Founding Director for the Centre for Political Marketing in the UK and Lecturer at Keele University.

Political Marketing and the rise of the political consumer * Marketing representation: parties and elections * Marketing the monarchy * Marketing the media: the case of the BBC * Marketing charities * Marketing health * Marketing university education * Marketing Parliament: Westminster and the Scottish Parliament * Local government marketing * The Political Marketing Revolution * Bibliography