Conservave Labour Liberal Democrats
in European countries more generally, it is a central function, supported by advertising, in developing and disseminating the policy and message of a political party. In the United States, it is a supporting function to advertising, the principal form of communication in a country that allows paid-for broadcast communication. There are numerous techniques such as opposition research which are used widely in the United States but which are little used in the United Kingdom and in other European countries, although these techniques may become ubiquitous over time. While the Internet has also made a signifi cant contribution to political campaigning in the United States, it has not yet to made its mark in the United Kingdom.
Political parties, particularly in the United Kingdom, have not yet undertaken to any great extent a sophisticated evaluation of their campaigns by tracking the eff ectiveness of their campaigning. Yet, they could very cheaply and eff ectively analyze their communications’ eff ect on voter groups by tracking voters’ experiences and determining whether or not those experiences were infl uencing voters positively or negatively. Ultimately, political parties’ use of political public relations oftentimes aims to win electoral support and develop political reputations, but as a function its proponents sometimes tread a fi ne line, because building political reputation may involve building that reputation at some other party or candidate’s expense. When parties overstep the mark, by damaging the trust they have with their electorate or the media, or by unfairly and viciously attacking their opponents, they risk damage to their own reputations.
Given the nature of representative democracy and the power of the electorate to decide their rulers, this can mean long spells in opposition for parties that fail to use wisely the tools and techniques of political PR. However, the opposite is also true. The best means to rehabilitate a failed party is to make the best use possible of the strategies and tactics of political PR. It seems then that there is a fi ne balance between no use, use, and overuse. When political parties do not use political PR, they are doomed to failure. When they use PR that is so slick that its use becomes obvious rather than subtle, and the style of politics becomes the content, they can also be doomed to failure. The devil is in the details.
Notes
1 Mentioned in a private conversation with the author.
2 “Dial groups” are where groups of up to 50 people rate various forms of advertising, usually using rating scales and electronic equipment (referred to as people-meters).
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