BUSINESS AND POLITICAL MARKETING: RELATIONSHIP AND OPEN ISSUES

Abstract

Marketing changed its form and way of functioning over time. Today it is understood through terms such as sales and market orientation, link building, relational and digital marketing. In that sense, marketing is “that function of the organization that can keep in constant touch with the organization’s consumers, read their needs, develop “products” that meet these needs, and build a program of communications to express the organization’s purposes.” (Kotler and Levy, 1969, pp. 15). This includes the use of market research techniques as well as the use of modern strategies and communication techniques. The application of marketing tools and techniques in politics is a common practice in modern democracies, but the history of mutual development, similarities and differences between business and political marketing, similarities and differences between business and political actors, relationships and markets in which they operate and the possibility of full application of business concepts remain constantly open. The aim of this paper is to describe and compare the concepts and mutual influence of business and political marketing in the modern world, and to point out important authors, dilemmas and open questions in this area. In this sense, this paper will describe the key directions of political marketing development in relation to business marketing development and analyze the impact of business marketing concepts on the understanding of political relations. The paper will point out the main discussions concerning the relationship between business and political marketing in three directions: 1. The possibility of applying business marketing concepts (exchange relationship, marketing concept, market orientation, etc.) in politics, 2. The impact of political marketing on democracy and 3. Theoretical establishing political marketing as a discipline. Special emphasis will be placed on the concept of developing relationships with consumers / voters and their transformation from foreigners, through acquaintances and friends to partners and loyal customers / voters.