government information officers and those of special advisers and
ministers were unclear.
Is this merely a perhaps unfortunate change of style by one party
or something much more significant? Jennifer Lees-Marshment
(2001) argues that Labour did much more than adopt new techniques.
The party, in common with many other Western political parties,
changed approach from an old-style ‘product-oriented party’ first
to a sales-oriented party and finally to a market-oriented party
(Table 7.1).
The transition from product orientation to market orientation
mirrors changes made by many successful capitalist firms in recent
years. This transition may also mark an era in which virtually all
major democratic parties accept some form of capitalist system and
attempt to work by its rules.The permanent campaign
The growth of spin and an increased emphasis on presentation did not
just happen, it has been driven by the development of the permanent
campaign. The phrase ‘permanent campaign’ was coined in 1980 by
Blumenthal. Up to this point the orthodox view was that there was a
distinction between campaigning and the business of governing.
However, Ornstein and Mann (2000) have suggested that any such
separation in politicians’ behaviour before and after an election has
been blurred, so that now ‘Every day is Election Day’ (Heclo, 2000:
17). Coleman (2005) has suggested that the existence of the194 DEMOCRACY
Table 7.1 Political marketing and New LabourType of party What they do New Labour examples
Product oriented Party does what it thinks is Unilateralism and socialism
best (improving policy product)
Sales oriented Focusing on hard sell for the New logo, slicker party
product political broadcasts, rapid
rebuttal
Market oriented Giving consumers what they Focus groups, policy
want adjustment, no tax rises or
sleaze
Source: Based on Lees-Marchment (2001)