eBusiness Weekly
Dr Musekiwa Tapera
It sounds weird and untenable to discuss a country’s political elections from a marketing perspective yet a lot can be borrowed from it particularly from a brand or broadly from a market positioning angle.
Borrowing from corporate marketing is not a new thing.
Nations have borrowed a lot from corporate branding and military strategy with huge success to the extent that countries are now being considered as powerful brands.
Political contestation world over and particularly in Africa has been associated with political violence, looting, killings, disorder, hatred and deep polarisation, yet it must be a competition of ideas, policies, programmes and other development oriented projects to take a country forward.
When it comes to elections, people forget that they are citizens of a country first and have an unshakable birth right that binds them together.
The citizens of a country have a responsibility to uplift the image, reputation and credibility of a country so that it is seen in good light globally. The narrative of peace, harmony and development that is being pronounced by the political leadership including His Excellency President Mnangagwa, churches, civic society and others should not be taken for granted as it fosters unity and harmony in society.
Ideally, we as Zimbabweans should embrace each other after elections and focus on national interest for the betterment of the livelihoods of the generality of the people.
Positioning and competition in politics
In marketing, positioning from a customer’s perspective refers to a competitive assessment by the customer about how the brand is similar or different from competing brands. It therefore means that for a country to succeed, it should not only consider its own weaknesses and strengths but the weaknesses and strengths of its competitors.
In simplistic terms the political arena should be about competitions or contestation of a diversity of ideas, policies and programmes that give people hope and light amidst diversity.
The political arena should not be about taking permanent positions against policies, programmes, before they are put on the table. It’s about accepting or denying policies and programmes out of the perception build after the marketing and selling efforts.
It sounds utopia but is achievable.
Positioning is an aspect of marketing communications that is important in enhancing the attractiveness of a programme, project, ideas and policies by altering the tangible features and intangible perceptions of a market offerings in view of competition.
Competition or competitiveness is central to positioning. Competitiveness has many dimensions and can be measured. Positioning is determined by the perception that occupies a distinctive place in the customer’s mind. Positioning is therefore an act of formulating a competitive position for a country by enhancing its attractiveness.
Positioning is therefore about what you do to the prospective customer and the perception that is built out of it. In politics, similarly, political parties should enter the minds of prospective supporters convincing and solidly and sway them into trust and loyalty. This can be achieved in an environment of peace and harmony because we are Zimbabweans first and everything else after.
Perception or image of the customer or supporter in politics is paramount in effective positioning but should take into account the organisation’s or political party’s competitors because competition does not happen in isolation.
In fact there is no political contestation without rivals. Rivalry should not be sworn enmity or hatred.
Ideas, not violence are the elements of a competitive environment. They are an attraction for perception building, image, reputation and credibility.
Effective and successful positioning depends on consistency if it has to occupy a distinct and value place in the target consumer space. Brand positioning guides marketing or in this context, political strategists by providing indications or direction to what the brand is all about, its uniqueness, how similar or different it is to competitive brands and why consumers should choose it.
It enables a brand to be highly visible in cluttered markets and occupy a distinctive and valuable place in target customers or political prospective. This is the spirit that should be associated with political contestation anchored on peace, diversity and not polarisation, hatred and violence.
Internal positioning
Positioning a brand internally requires the formulation and development of practical approaches to instil values with a country’s citizens or community.
The country’s political entities should come up with strategies to communicate and promote their brands internally for its local citizens or community because they are the best brand champions of the country.
They can also be worst enemies if they don’t subscribe to it or if they do not view the brand as authentic to deliver on its promise.
Effective positioning
The positioning process is dynamic in that it is a continuous process in order to adapt to the ever changing environment and shifts in consumer tastes and needs. It has to also take into account the ever changing and dynamic competitor tactics and strategies.
In this context no political party can afford to remain stagnant. Its deep policies and programmes should always respond to the dynamic socio political environment. Competitiveness and competitive areas change rapidly meaning these entities need to ensure that they are always in sync with the tastes of their target prospective supporters. They cannot be left behind.
Therefore, instead of concentrating on perpetrating violence and other not so peaceful strategies, they should make research on market needs and wants and focus on crafting strategies that win the hearts and minds of their prospective supporters and marketers.
It is not a stroll in the park. Today’s consumer is sophisticated and knows what they want. Today’s consumers are also techno-savvy, digitally inclined and well-connected.
Effective positioning as strategy entails promising the benefits that the customer or prospective supporter will receive and the creation of an expectation in them and the policies and programmes that deal with national problems.
The solution to the citizen’s problems should outclass the competitor political parties and should be different. The underlying factor for effective positioning is credibility and authenticity. The credibility of the benefits may diminish quickly if the expectation created is not fulfilled. All the good is forgotten.
Market positioning is another aspect that can be borrowed by competitors in politics. It is a process of identifying and selecting markets or segments that have business potential or support base. It is concerned with thorough knowledge of the needs, wants and perceptions of the target market together with the benefits offered by organisations.
In conclusion, while the above arguments sound strange and weird, they can create an enjoyable platform for competitive ideas that will make violence and disharmony unwelcome, unacceptable and distasteful amongst communities.
These approaches will create an environment that builds us as one people, with common aspirations.
The clarion call by the President for peaceful elections coupled by the behaviour of fellow countrymen will transform Zimbabwe into a country with positive image and sustainable reputation and credibility for economic development.
It will make us realise that what divides us is a very small than what should unite us. After all we are all Zimbabweans.
Together as one.
