Political communication management: The strategy of the two main candidates during the 2007 French presidential elections

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to investigate the communication strategy of the two main candidates in the 2007 French presidential elections, deconstructing the process of communication in its main elements: context, message, media‐mix, and communication strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

Secondary data were collected from a variety of secondary sources, such as texts, articles, statistics and interviews on the subject of the 2007 French presidential elections, published in various journals or web sites, and then re‐interpreted from the perspective of two researchers, who were direct participants and observers of these political events.

Findings

The findings present an analytical discussion of the central political message used during the presidential campaign, complemented by an analysis of the media‐mix and the level of media exposure of the two main candidates.

Research limitations/implications

The limited focus of the paper on the communication campaign implemented by the two main candidates in the 2007 French presidential elections does not permit a general evaluation of the political marketing strategy.

Practical implications

The conclusions of this study can provide a useful insight for political communication specialists.

Originality/value

The main contribution of the paper lies in the presentation and discussion of the main communication methods and tools used in a political system different from the Anglo‐American context, which is analysed in most empirical and theoretical studies on the subject of political marketing.

Citation

Gurău, C. and Ayadi, N. (2011), "Political communication management: The strategy of the two main candidates during the 2007 French presidential elections", Journal of Communication Management, Vol. 15 No. 1, pp. 5-22. https://doi.org/10.1108/13632541111105222