Marketing of Political

Parties in Pakistan (Focus

on PTI)
Akhtar Yousaf.
Farhan Ahmad.
Bilal Ahmad.
Mohammad Sohaib.
Meraj Khan
Zeeshan Ahmad.

Introduction
The strategies of many political parties and

the activities of their followers have striking

analogies with several marketing principles.
The emergence of POLITICAL MARKETING.

POLITICAL MARKETING DEFINED

It deals with how politicians, political parties,

governments and associated stakeholders

harness the vast knowledge base of marketing
in their political undertakings.

Pakistans Political
Landscape

Parties and
positioning
Different political parties have their own

ideology and strategy framework in which

they operate and from which they deviate
very little.
these political parties have championed their
ideology at different periods.

Parties and positioningfor

instance
1. Practice of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)

to dole out public sector jobs, welfare

payments and employment.
. Now this positioning was so wellcommunicated that the PPP became
associated with roti, kapra and makaan
the basic necessities of life.
. Subsequently, the Bhutto familys impact
on the party.. surname of Benazir Bhuttos
Children changed.

Parties and positioningfor

instance
2. Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
(JUI) and other religious political parties have
used Islams namereligious parties.
It goes without saying that it has always been
the positioning that created this image for
these parties.

Parties and positioningfor

instance
3. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
Evolved a different positioning.
Imran Khans youthful image remains core to
their positioning.
PTI has used change as a mantra in its
positioning strategy.
Challenged the traditional Pakistani politics.
The PTI then positioned itself as a party that
would hold intra-party elections even at the
grassroots .legacy of JI.

Continued
JI failed to take leverage this positioning
This is analogous to how some brands take a

particular positioning over others in the mind

of their customers.

Regional or national?
Segmentation and targeting at
work
Muttahaida Quami Movement-MQM.

historically focused on urban Sindh, particularly

Karachi and Hyderabad.
Urdu-speaking party leaders cross new
demographics in Pakistan, they are
experimenting with new positioning and targeting
strategies.
MQM a challenge to the status quoquite
successful
Awami National Party (ANP) continues to woo
Pakhtun voters

Segmentation and targeting at

work
PTI( Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf)
Newborn comparatively to Pakistan's old

parties.
National level partyfrom Karachi to
Khyberthough weak in rural Sindh, Punjab,
Baluchistan.
Main target youth, elite and educated class.
Focusing on KPK in generalas it is ruler
party

Election symbols the

brands
election symbols..part of their marketing

campaigns.
Importance of symbols (logos) increases when
literacy levels are low and people recognize
their candidates through symbols.
true power of brands in Pakistani politics
exemplified in March 2013 court decision
about open/closed book regarding JUI.

Continue
this demonstrates how the religious parties

are using key religious elements for their

branding and positioning.
In PTI case, The PTI uses insaf (justice) as its
key positioning and had to do battle with the JI
to have a weighing scale as the election
symbol. Having failed, they settled for a bat
aimed at recalling their skippers cricketing
career.

Politics and elections Marketing

and sales
for any political party, the years of struggle

can be equally weighed against what it

achieves during an election campaignjust
like Marketing and sales.
For political parties, all marketing activities
lead to the day their consumers make the
real purchase cast their vote.

Continue
Marketing tactics and sales in Pakistan
the reality in the rural areas is that votes can be
won for trivial favors such as monetary benefits,
jobs, giveaways or even providing transport to the
polling station with some refreshments on the go
(yes, thats it!).
Fielding the Right candidates from the right caste,
sect or ethnicity can generate further sales.
Involving celebrities.
posters and banners on the streets and roads

.
Public gatherings/jalsas/weddings/even

funerals.
TV shows/talk shows, radio, print media etc.
Philanthropic activities.
direct marketing like sending recorded
messages through mobiles.
Peoples wishes for corruption free
government and PTI promises to full fill that.
Additionally, development of nation.

Running special vans

Running
special vans in
rural areas to
education
youth on
importance of
voting in
Karachi.

Tabdeeli Razakar Program

Tabdeeli

Razakar
(Volunteer
s for
Change).
Voting
literacy for
urban
youth.

Naya Pakistan Fund

Involvin
g public
in
political
funding
is a
tactic
long
being
used in
America
n

Door to door campaign

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf

(PTI) has roped in 200 young women, mostly

university students, in the garrison city to
canvass for the cantonment board elections.

PTI Tele-marketing
PTI Tele-marketing calling some 300,000 land

lines in Karachi
Assalam-o-Alaikum. This isImran Khan.
How are you? Im coming to your city to
bring everyone together on December 25
at Mazar-e-Quaid for a rally.I hope that
you can break all the shackles and take
part because at this rally we need to
make the beginning of a new Pakistan. I
will be waiting, Thank you.

Documentaries and short films

PTI current documentaries and short films on

various topics, including social injustice, party

evolution, performance of rival political
parties, and voter education (how to use their
right to vote.
PTI Central Information Secretary Shafqat
Mehmood said the party was designing an
elaborate election campaign market strategy
for the upcoming general elections..news from
2012

PTI major strengthSOCIAL MEDIA

campaign
the internet and social media in spreading Imran

Khans message/PTI..without cost/single penny.

symbolizes a message of hope for Pakistan, not
only in real life but also in his actions and deeds.
Online popularity does not mean you win
elections. Only be treated as a marketing tool
along with electronic media which will
consequently motivate voters to come out to
vote.

PTI SloganNAYA
PAKISTAN!
Running its election campaign with slogan

Naya Pakistan, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI)

has been pioneering a new form of political
marketing in Pakistan.
Musical concerts for promotions

PTI expenditure
The expenditure and the income of the PTI is

more than the PPP and PML(N) put together

at least on paper.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan spent Rs960
million (2012-13) for overhead party costs,
payments and fixed assets. While total income
receipt amounts to Rs1.05 billion for this
financial year.

Continued
How PTI met its financial expenditure?

..Fundraising campaign.
PTI raised funds worth Rs1.05 billion through
national,international donors, chairman efforts.
It paid about Rs410 million for advertising
and marketing expenses; Rs235 million for
public events expenses; Rs24 million in
salaries; Rs11 million for entertainment; and
Rs53 million for printing & stationery.

Continue
The party spent an estimated Rs70 million in

financial assistance to candidates, with

Rs6.6 million allocated to travelling and
conveyance
It is pertinent to mention that in accordance
with the Political Parties Order, 2002, PTI has
disclosed the name of the auditors and declares
that it has details of the sources of all funds.

Bad political
advertising
When unrest and lawlessness was at its peak

in Balochistan, the provincial government

chose to run a campaign in the national print
media flaunting its achievements over the last
five years.
In some circumstances it might had work but
for the people who continue to endure the
hardships of life in Balochistan the campaign
was painful.

Continued
A parallel can perhaps be drawn to Nero

playing the fiddle while Rome burned.

PTI was protesting/sit ins in capital,while IDPs
flooded Peshawar with kpk government giving
no attention.
Musical concerts arrangements, which where
seen by many society segments as against
majority religious beliefs, our society norms.

Why PTI political marketing

campaign was more effective
than rivals?
1. Creating connection with the hottest issues
Because they adopt a market orientation and
develop a product in response to market demands
more effectively than rivals. E.g. anti-drone
attacks campaign.
2. Trust in candidates and leaderships are
other parameters where PTI raised its standard
higher than other parties to differentiate itself.
3. Explore the Technology to Reach out Your
Target Market Effectively and Efficiently

Continued..
4. To reach young first-time voters, it used
social media.
5. High level of online fundraising comparatively
to rivals.
6. well-educated supportersfree
ambassadors.
7. Imran khans charisma centered.
8. Imran Khans philanthropy and success story
of Shaukat Khanam Hospital is the main
driving force behind PTI.

Thanks