I get the impression that when it comes to election time, politicians much prefer to get up and wave their arms about in front of rent-a-crowds rather than indulge in any mass marketing communications.
Investing in advertising for them seems to be very much a grudge purchase and as such is delegated to the most junior functionary who hauls out the same old book - "How to Advertise" (Published in 1848 and never updated) - and then puts together as many hackneyed political phrases as he can.
The ANC probably come closest to actually involving marketing in their advertising, but that's only because they're the ruling party and can't confine their entire campaign to attacking the opposition because so far the opposition hasn't been in a position to deliver anything.
The ANC actually promises things in their campaign but, while its a good idea in modern marketing to make promises, this should only be done if there is a perception among the masses that previous promises have been delivered upon.
Unfortunately where the ANC has made a mistake is to promise things upon which it has so far not delivered, instead of capitalising on previous promises of things it has delivered.
The opposition, however, is still floundering about in a marketing desert. The DA 's campaign is exactly the same as that it has employed since 1994 and precisely the same as that it employed against the Nats for years before that and unerringly similar to that used by the United Party against the Nats since 1949. You'd think that someone at the DA would have a look at their track record and notice not only a fairly obvious trend, but the absolute glaring truth that since 1948 this strategy has not only failed to get them into power but has consistently lost them support and seats.
For decades now they have been doing nothing more than just bashing away at first the Nats and then the ANC. Breaking the first rule of marketing which is all about not knocking one's competitors in terms of what they aren't doing but rather promoting what you are able to do and have done.
Current campaigns by all parties assume quite clearly that voters are stupid. Which they are not.
Advertising is frankly so bad and so insulting to the consumer in many ways that it will play no role in getting people to the polls.
And the only reason why in many constituencies, people will stream to the polls is because the municipal elections will in some small way give them an alternative to burning councillors' houses and throwing stones at the police in their frustration to get some sort of basic service delivery.
