The strategy of the two main candidates during the 2007 French presidential elections

• Published in: Journal of communication management (London, England) England), 2011, Vol.15 (1), p.5-22
• Main Authors: Gurau, C., Ayadi, Nawel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Business administration; Humanities and Social Sciences
• ISSN: 1363-254X
• DOI: 10.1108/13632541111105222

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Communication Management is the property of Emerald Group Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract