O'Shaughnessy, Henneberg, and their contributors examine how the theory and practice of marketing has been and can be applied to politics. Particular attention was paid to the theory of political marketing, with conceptual definitions developed to better facilitate communication between marketing professionals and political science researchers. Political marketing is about the making and unmaking of governments in a democracy. Despite its growing importance, the marketing academic profession has shown very little interest in the political ramificaitons of their discipline, while political scientists often come to political marketing with the view that it is cosmetic, if not trivial. O'Shaughnessy, Henneberg, and their contributors examine how the theory and practice of marketing has been and can be applied to politics. As they show, elections are a persuasion task writ large, most especially with the demise of inherited class loyalties. Following elections, governments can employ marketing techniques to build support for their actions, while opposition parties can press the government and its supporters through similar marketing approaches. Of particular interest to scholars, researchers, and policy makers involved with politics, political communication, and the making of public policy.

Electronic inspection copies are available for instructors Political Marketing: Theories and Concepts provides students with a valuable and critical understanding of how political parties use marketing to attain their aims. Unlike other textbooks, this text explicitly focuses on the theoretical underpinnings and cutting edge concepts used by political parties, allowing students to gain key insights into how they win elections and remain in power. With an engaging and thought provoking topic selection, these field-leading authors have ensured that this often complex and theoretically advanced topic is clearly accessible for a student audience and novice researchers.

Key features of each chapter include:

- Short chapter introduction and learning summaries

- Discussion questions to share in the classroom

- Annotated suggestions for further reading

- Lists of key terms to consider

This text is essential reading for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students on political marketing courses.

Dr Robert P. Ormrod, University of Aarhus, Denmark

Dr Stephan C. Henneberg, University of Manchester

Professor Nicholas J. O'Shaughnessy, Queen Mary, University of London