Does political marketing need the concept of customer value?

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the feasibility and usefulness of adapting the concept of "customer value" from commercial marketing for use in the field of political marketing. Design/methodology/approach - A literature review of the field of customer value, and the application of a prominent "means-end hierarchy" model of customer value to the political context. Findings - From the application of the customer value approach to the political context, it is concluded that an analogous concept of "voter value" can be delineated and is the basis for a promising approach to the development of political marketing strategy. Research limitations/implications - Several important testable hypotheses emerge from the article concerning the application of "voter value" as a segmentation tool in the field of political marketing. Practical implications - "Voter value" emerges as a potentially useful tool in political marketing strategy, in particular with respect to shaping political communications messages, and segmenting voter populations. Originality/value - It is widely acknowledged that "customer value" is an important concept in commercial marketing. This article addresses the important questions of whether and how the concept can be transferred to a different area of marketing.