Politics is no longer just about the best policy ideas (and maybe it never was). Neither is it only about which party can most persuasively sell their ideas to the public. Politics today, especially when it comes to election campaigns, encompasses much more. The party and leader that can most effectively hone a positive image, build a strong brand, and effectively communicate key ideas with consistent messaging through various traditional and digital channels, captures the essence of good political marketing.
Stephen Harper’s Conservatives deftly employed political marketing techniques in the federal elections they won. By 2015, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals perfected them. Their market research suggested that a consistent emphasis on the importance of “real change” for middle class Canadians would resonate with Liberal-targeted Canadian voters; that careful courting of, and connecting with, Canadian youth would have them flocking to voting booths; and that the sheer force of Trudeau’s charisma, or celebrity, would be a powerful driver for the Liberal social media strategy. Dozens of selfies with younger and older voters alike became a standard part of Justin Trudeau’s day, and exponentially grew his political presence both at home and abroad.
The success of Liberal marketing and branding had reverberations around the world, giving the new PM – and Canada – heightened global exposure, or international celebrity status. By 2014 Justin Trudeau’s political marketing machine was already causing a sensation in the U.S. with a spread in Vanity Fair. His warm Washington welcome by the Obamas in March 2016 set social media afire with tales of the great “bromance” between Trudeau and the equally magnetic American president. On international trips Trudeau is often asked for selfies, handshakes, and high fives by hundreds of people, and he’s quite obliging because it connects him with “regular people” throughout the world. Vogue, Rolling Stone, and TMZ are just a smattering of popular culture media outlets that regularly feature the Canadian Prime Minister.
But what can a politician do with a carefully cultivated celebrity on the international stage? Are there real policy impacts?
Can a political leader wield this type of personal brand power in Canada’s interest? Some observers have suggested that the foreign policy approaches of Harper and Trudeau vary only by degrees. True or not, what is different is the perception of Canada’s impact. If the old adage is true, and perception is politics, the effect has been a growing belief that Canada’s stature in the world is improving. Canada appears to be leading the world in various policy areas, such as fighting climate change, welcoming refugees, and championing the rights of women and girls. But this is also a reflection of very good political marketing; Trudeau capitalizes on his global popularity, and each international foray is carefully photographed, captioned, and shared through digital media channels to Canadians back home. They all tell a story of Trudeau’s foreign affairs successes, loosely defined.
There are advantages to nurturing the kind of celebrity enjoyed by Justin Trudeau. One advantage is that important and powerful people want to meet you, and so there is an opportunity to highlight your agenda and promote your country to various ends. A second advantage is that people pay attention to what you say. When Trudeau speaks at meetings or forums, the rooms are generally packed.
Trudeau’s star power gave UWaterloo star power too.
It mattered, for example, that at the first World Economic Forum the new prime minister attended in 2016, arguably at the height of his global popularity, he talked about how Silicon Valley competes for University of Waterloo graduates, and how the diversity of UW’s student population made it an “engine of invention”. Trudeau did not mention any other Canadian university; only us. Put another way, Trudeau’s star power gave UW star power too.
The disadvantage is that a key aspect of political marketing is delivering on promises. International celebrity can be useful for putting policy items on the table, but it’s no guarantee they’ll be addressed and resolved. In other words, perception must eventually match the politics, and it can be perilous to fall short. As the next federal election approaches, Justin Trudeau’s major challenges on foreign policy and the accompanying ‘deliverables’ are partially a result of another, more recent example of good marketing, in particular the power of a brand – the remarkable campaign and presidential win of Donald Trump. Political marketing, as with politics, is endlessly fascinating, especially when it is put to use well beyond our own borders.
Top banner photo: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Global Citizen Festival in Hamburg, 2017. Photo by Frank Schwichtenberg (Creative Commons license).
