Psychology of electioneering

As we move into 2010 there will no doubt be the usual plethora of opinion polls to look forward to. What is interesting from a consumer research point of view is to see how much of what is being done is so much psychological engineering – or psychobabble for some/ many! Whether its removing the ‘brand contamination’ of the Conservative Party; the use of social media on the back of the demonstrated success of the Obama campaign; the concept of Nudge Marketing – using messages that create an aura of social unacceptability around a way of behaving or the supposed application of the wisdom of the crowds method to policy making (even though opinion forming is a little different concept than measuring the weight of an ox at a fair-its original conception). This could be so much hogwash, but at the end of the day, if there is a change of Government then consider that it might be as much to do with David Cameron wearing a red tie or ‘nudge marketing’ comments to the marginal’s on their similarity to the Lib Dems as actual policy. In fact perhaps policy doesn’t matter anymore, what really counts is the latest poster of a leader with a full set of hair and a young complexion Twas ever thus, as with politics so with life: its less about the brand offer as the brand experience.