Political Communication: Party Advertising in the General Election

Abstract

This chapter examines party advertising campaigns in the 2005 General Election. The aim of the chapter is threefold. The first section highlights the strategic decision by parties to concentrate on vulnerable seats and the increased use of segmentation techniques in identifying potential supporters. The second section reviews party brand and message, and the strategies and tactics used in communicating with the electorate. I examine the use of different advertising mediums and allocation strategy for each party as expressed by campaign expenditures. In closing, I consider whether the empirical data supports voters’ perceptions of a negative campaign and argue that the trend established in this election concerning the extensive use of segmentation and direct marketing techniques are likely to feature prominently in future campaigns.