POLITICAL MARKETING in a TURKISH CONTEXT: VALUES and PRACTICES

Year 2018, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 129 - 148, 10.04.2018

Ekmel Geçer

https://doi.org/10.19145/e-gifder.379252

Abstract

Political marketing shares much in common with
marketing in the business world and benefits from sociology, political
phycology and of course mostly takes advantage of communication almost at its
all levels. At its very simple description, politicians through political
marketing just as done in the business marketing, tells what they have for people,
why they should elect them as their representatives and explain them their
future promises and guarantees if the follower faces any problem. The
communication managers at this publicising process, direct the marketing steps,
tell the politicians which services to use and what communication methods (e.g.
advertising, social media activities) to practise. At the same time, they have
a further strategy which depicts the support they might have in return and the
voter loyalty they will receive if their strategy works. Throughout the
election campaign, runners convey their promises and explain their future
performances in exchange for the votes and supporters’ contributions. However,
although political communication strategies look similar in different countries,
the local culture, traditions and values force politicians to develop new ways
of election campaigns special to that indigenous demands which will attract the
voters and make them feel that the politician is one of them. Therefore, this
conceptual paper while giving mostly a theoretical background for political
marketing in general terms, it also tries to explore the relationship and
benefits gained by practicing cultural traditions and the local outlines the
politicians mostly apply in their communication campaigns. The outcomes of the
study suggest that the political communication campaigns in Turkey have local
patterns but also are particularly carrying the similar futures of American
strategies.

Keywords

Turkey, voting behaviour, political culture, Communication, political communication, political marketing, Turkey

BİR TÜRKİYE KONTEKSTINDE SİYASAL PAZARLAMA: DEĞERLER ve PRATİKLER

Abstract

Siyasal pazarlamanın, iş dünyasındaki pazarlama
yöntemleriyle ortak birçok yanı vardır ve sosyoloji, politik psikoloji ve
elbette bütün seviyelerinde iletişimden çokça faydalanır. En basit
tanımlamasıyla, politikacılar siyasal pazarlama yoluyla, ticarette yapıldığı
şekliyle, müşteriler için neleri olduğunu söyler; neden kendi ürünlerini
seçmeleri gerektiğini ve gelecekte herhangi bir sorunla karşılaştıklarında ne
türlü garantilere sahip olduklarını anlatırlar. Bu kampanya sürecinde, iletişim
koordinatörleri, pazarlamayı adım adım yönetir ve politikacılara hangi
mecraları ve iletişim yöntemlerini (reklam, sosyal medya aktiviteleri gibi)
kullanmaları gerektiğini anlatırlar. Aynı zamanda, bu yöntemler karşılığında,
her şey yolunda giderse, nasıl bir desteğe sahip olacaklarını ve ulaşacakları
oy oranını öngörebildikleri stratejileri olur. Seçim kampanyası boyunca,
rakipler, vaatlerini aktarır ve oy vermelerine ve katkılarına karşılık
seçmenlere gelecekteki icraatlarını açıklarlar. Ne var ki, siyasal iletişim
stratejileri farklı ülkelerde aynı özellikleri gösterse de yerel kültür,
gelenekler ve değerler; siyasetçilerin, yerli halkın taleplerine özel, onların
oylarını cezbeden ve politikacının onlardan biri olduğunu hissettiren, yeni
seçim kampanyaları geliştirmelerini gerekli kılar. Bu nedenle,
elinizdeki kavramsal makale; genel anlamda siyasal pazarlamayı daha çok teorik
olarak ele alırken, diğer yandan politikacıların, iletişim kampanyalarında,
kültürel gelenekler ve yerel motifleri kullanmalarıyla elde ettikleri
avantajların nedenlerini keşfetmeyi amaçlar. Çalışmanın sonucu, Türkiye’deki siyasal
iletişim kampanyalarının yerel öğeleri kullanmakla birlikte özellikle
Amerika’da uygulanan stratejilerden etkilendiğini göstermektedir.

Keywords

Türkiye, oy verme davranışı, politik kültür, İletişim, siyasal iletişim, siyasal pazarlama, Türkiye

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