Political consulting (political marketing)

Political consulting, also called political marketing, is a field in which specialists work with politicians and corporations to market candidates and change the opinions of voters. Political marketing specialists use surveys and other specialized tools to track the opinions of voter demographics. They then advise their clients to make decisions that align with the opinions of target demographics, increasing a politician’s popularity with that demographic.

Political marketing specialists also commonly conduct media campaigns on behalf of their clients. They create television, print, and social-media advertisements designed to appeal to specific demographics. They may also manage the websites and social-media presence of clients. This allows politicians to devote more time and effort to governing and less time to garnering votes.

Some political consultants work alone, offering their individual opinions to clients. However, many work as part of larger political marketing firms. Larger firms are more expensive, but may offer multiple specialists in different areas of political consulting. Additionally, many political marketing firms primarily serve a particular political party. This allows them to develop a positive rapport with the politicians of that party. However, some political marketing firms do not have a favored party. Instead, they work with whichever party hires them.

Background

Political marketing draws its roots from early political counseling. Monarchs and politicians could not be expected to remain up to date on every issue while still performing many of the tasks necessary to keep a nation functioning. Instead, leaders typically hired counselors and advisors to help them make decisions. This staff, which helped advise leaders on important topics and questions, was typically comprised of experts. The president’s cabinet may be viewed as a modern variant of this system.

Over time, political advisors and counselors became an important part of most governments. They continued to help politicians and leaders make informed choices, and skilled advisors were highly valued. Over time, politicians began to recruit specialized advisors to help them run campaigns.

As television became widespread in American homes in the 1950s, the power of political marketing specialists began to grow. Television provided a new avenue for political marketing. It allowed political consultants to launch large multimedia campaigns, utilizing television advertisements to effectively influence huge numbers of voters at once. It also allowed nations to televise debates and speeches, making the work of skilled political analysts invaluable to the average politician. Political consultants were able to ensure that politicians presented themselves in a manner that would resonate with the average voter, thus drastically increasing the appeal of the politician. This was apparent, for instance, in the presidential elections of 1952 and 1956, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower was carefully coached by political marketing specialists.

In 1969, the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) began as a trade group meant for political consultants, public affairs professionals, and communications specialists. In 2025, the organization had over 1,800 members throughout the United States. Every year, AAPC hosts the Pollie Awards, which recognize the campaigns, advertisements, and contributions of political consultants and analysts who belong to the AAPC.

Political consultants received another increase in status with the advent of the internet age. The internet provided another avenue for political consultants to influence voters. Politicians were judged not only on their performance in debates and their political records, but also on their social-media presence and websites. Specialized political consultants were able to ensure that their clients appeared favorably on the internet. They were also able to use the internet to conduct advertising campaigns targeting specific voters.

Overview

Though it is not strictly required, most people who become successful political consultants begin by attending college and securing a bachelor’s degree. In many cases, prospective political consultants study political science for their bachelor’s degrees. This provides them with a foundation in how the government functions. However, they may also study writing, history, philosophy, or other subjects that build skills in logic, critical thinking, and rhetoric.

Many follow that degree by seeking admission to a master’s program. During these graduate programs, students learn about political organizations, relevant fields of law, decision theory, and many other topics relevant to their future careers. These programs are specialized, and often specifically prepare students for working as political scientists. They may also help students form social networks that can serve critical roles during their careers. Once a master’s degree has been secured, some students seek entrance to specialized doctorate programs. Other students decide to enter the workforce.

After graduating, prospective political consultants often begin working as interns. As an intern, they may be paid less and given less responsibility than regular political consultants. However, internship allows prospective political consultants to gain experience and build rapport with potential employers in the field.

Political consultants perform an important role in the modern democratic system. Politicians and political candidates are required to perform a multitude of tasks at any given time. They may be expected to help draft legislation, network with other politicians, chair committees, and perform any number of other difficult and time-consuming duties. In addition to these responsibilities, politicians and political candidates are required to manage their public appearances, write speeches, and engage the public in order to better their chances at re-election. In many cases, politicians do not have enough time to adequately fulfill all of these responsibilities. For this reason, politicians commonly hire large staffs to help them prepare for difficult tasks. One task in which politicians commonly require help is political marketing.

Political consultants are usually experts at political marketing. They are trained in planning election campaigns, monitoring social issues, and helping politicians manage their image, including on social media and the internet. Political consulting firms are often hired by politicians to help manage an upcoming election campaign, bettering the politician’s odds of successfully defeating his or her opponents. Political consulting firms carefully study their clients’ voting base in order to better understand their clients’ needs. They then relay their findings to their clients, advising them to take stances on issues that the political consultant believes will increase the number of votes the client receives in upcoming elections. Because these issues can change at a rapid pace, political marketing specialists are invaluable for helping busy politicians stay informed on what stances are popular and unpopular with their base.

Much of political marketing involves conducting and studying polls. Polls allow politicians, members of the media, and political consultants to rapidly survey large numbers of people. This allows political marketing firms to study trending topics, find polarizing issues, and discover which stances are currently popular with a client’s voter base. However, polling is not as simple as it may seem. Political consultants must ensure that their polls do not subtly guide participants toward a particular answer or viewpoint. They must also ensure that the sample taking the survey is representative of the wider population. If the polls are conducted in a manner that makes them an inaccurate representation of their intended audience, the political marketing firm’s voter analytics will also be inaccurate. This can lead to the firm giving bad advice to a client, damaging the firm’s reputation.

Political marketing is often similar to advertising. Instead of advertising a product to consumers, however, political consultants advertise a person to potential voters. They may write or edit speeches for clients, arrange visits to key areas, or advise that clients change certain stances to become more popular with key demographics. Political consultants also commonly develop and maintain traditional advertising campaigns. They write and create television commercials, radio advertisements, and print features to help make clients more popular.

Many modern political marketing firms also make use of social media to aid their clients. They may create and manage social media profiles and websites, or help manage the clients’ online presence. They may also use their expertise and networking skills to secure clients better speaking opportunities, or to provide clients with access to important or influential individuals.

Political marketing firms are extremely varied. Some are composed of a single person, while others sell the services of large staffs. Some firms primarily aid a particular political party, which allows firms to build a reputation with an influential group of politicians. This reputation may secure a steady client base from that party. Other firms accept jobs from varied clients. This may give the firms a wider client base and a different perspective on the political landscape.

In some cases, large corporations employ the services of political marketing firms. In these scenarios, the corporations often seek to influence the laws relevant to their industry. They may want to loosen restrictions, reduce tariffs, or rein in the practices of opposing companies. In order to accomplish these goals, corporations work with political marketing firms to influence the opinions of voters. They push voters to elect politicians with views favorable to the corporation’s goals.

Bibliography

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