Preface: Branding, Message Control, and Sunny Ways
Identifies what went wrong for Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party in the 2015 election campaign, which sets up a provocative summary of communications practices in the early days of the new Liberal government led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
1 The Centralization of Communications in Government and Politics
Sets the scene by establishing that communications practices are contributing to centralized power in the centre of parliamentary government. A hypothesis is introduced that everything political passes through a branding "lens."
2 Marketing and Branding in Politics
Summarizes the advent of political marketing and branding, and identifies party discipline and central agencies as enablers.
3 The Tumultuous Digital Media Environment
Establishes that politics, government and the parliamentary press gallery have been transformed by digital media. Discusses concepts such as media logic, agenda setting, framing, information subsidies, celebritization, pseudo-scandal, and political advertising.
4 Public Sector Brands
Continues to lay a theoretical foundation by conceptualizing types of brands in the political marketplace. Features a case study that treats Justin Trudeau as a brand line extension of his father Pierre, the transformative Canadian prime minister.
5 Communications Simplicity and Political Marketing
Argues that research is informing the simplification and precision of communications messaging in politics. Presents evidence of ways that political marketing is practiced.
6 Brand Discipline and Debranding
Advances an argument that political elites are responding to changing communications technology with intensified media management that requires message consistency. This includes a penchant for negativity, as strategists attempt to damage an opponent's brand.
7 Central Government Agencies and Communications
Documents ways that the cabinet, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and supporting agencies impose message control through spin and other forms of media management.
8 Branding in Canadian Public Administration
Explores the variety of ways that the Government of Canada practices message control and branding within the public service itself, bringing together formerly disparate units.
9 Politicization of Government Communications
Illustrates ways that political personnel impose their partisan values on the public service, through such mechanisms as a "whole of government" approach to marketing.
10 The Fusion of Party and Government Brands
Shows how the governing party attempts to fuse its brand with the government's and strives to eviscerate select reminders of past administrations. Features a case study of the Economic Action Plan branding campaign after the 2008-09 global economic crisis.
11 Public Sector Branding: Good or Bad for Democracy?
Presents arguments in favour of public sector branding and warns of a number of concerns, before presenting recommendations for policy change.
Appendices
Glossary
Notes
References
Interviews
Index
