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Chapter 2 National Assembly Election in Vietnam

3.2. Findings and recommendations for candidates in the run-up to the upcoming National Assembly Election

3.2.1. Anticipating voter needs:

Findings:

From the research the student found that the voter belief in representative role of deputy. When government and its agency cannot solve their problem or solution given unexpected, people require support from their deputy. They though that deputy is a bridge between state and people. Deputy was expected keeping balance role.

The representative role of parliamentarians was released as being accountable to the people, representing the needs and interests of citizens and informing constituents about debates, new laws, government spending and policies.

Recommendations:

Of course the first question that needs to be answered by any politician in an election is what the voters are looking for in a candidate. It‘s suggested that candidate must be honesty, credibility and capacity.

3.2.2. Marketing research in politics a. Government project

Findings:

NA has been implemented many projects to enhance its capacity to fulfill their duties and competence. It‘s mean that they recognize their weakness and take actions to response. In long-term vision, capacity of National Assembly will be improved, especial in law-making and supervision.

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National Assembly invite international partner to support in parliament development. It‘s show opening-development trend. NA may develop following successful and modern pattern of other Parliament.

The NA, previously closed institutions, is now more accessible to the public.

The concept of public information has also been widely accepted by the NA, including the development of new attitude towards more openness in informing about the tasks and responsibilities of the NA.

All of these changing are result of huge improvement. It‘s mean that the requirement for a deputy will be high setting standard in next several years.

Recommendations

Candidates should study also international report of parliament to see the trend of development. And they can use the publication of these institutions to enhance their skill and knowledge in Parliamentary field.

b. Current deputy:

Findings:

Supervision function of deputy is weak. The deputy has a limited tool for supervision activities. It‘s the reason while they often use the new and investigative report from the media. Another reason is that the deputy hasn‘t got time enough for investigation the concern of citizens. More than half of deputies are part-time work. And the benefit for deputy is quite low. This does not encourage deputy spend their time for Parliamentary activities.

Recommendations:

Deputy usually uses secondary data in research socio-economy issues. But

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first data should rather collect from meeting with voters. The candidate need develop their communication‘s skill. And they also need improve an ability to connect emotionally with voters.

c. Other institution and individuals:

Candidate usually done research him/herself. Purpose of research is to build the planning of activities that candidate will do if they are selected. Secondly, candidates must prepare for meeting with voters. They search information mainly from newspaper, from local government.

Recommendation:

Expanding source of information is required to get whole picture of an issue in many aspects. The candidates should rather use professional researcher, or used media agency to gain useful information.

3.2.3. Voter behavior

Findings:

The voter is affected by reputation of candidates.

The voter is easily in choosing candidates. They don‘t spend time for search information of candidates. All information they have are CVs published in the press and displayed in public places. The voter is passive in finding information of candidates. They rarely find more information of candidate in other channel.

The voter lacks of awareness their right and their duty. And the fact that one voter votes for many people shows that Vietnamese are not interested in their civic duties. The voter thinks that they couldn‘t affect to the result of election.

This think is not true. In fact, the voter also makes decision in who is elected.

In three consultative conferences, the voter has a little bit affect in the official list. Because determines‘ right was delegated to the Vietnam Fatherland Front. But after the candidate list is drawn up, the party-state has less control over who is elected. The voter is really a person decided who is elected, who is not.

The affection of a global era that places great importance on ―democratic‖

legitimacy is also influence to the way government hold the election. The information is public and the voters involved more deeply in the election. The role of voter will increase soon if they release their impact on electoral process. From this trend, the candidates may take some advantage. When electoral information is public, citizens will also involve in supervision this activity. The equal will be guarantee for all candidates.

Recommendation:

The researcher suggests that candidates should rather study carefully voter behavior in their constituencies.

Study the law to do electoral campaign that isn‘t illegal. This allowed candidates can launch marketing strategy in suitable manner.

Study the local culture to find out their insight, their languages.

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3.2.4. Market segmentation and targeting group:

Findings:

The marketing segmentation can be divided in two groups: province and city nationwide. The popular in province isn‘t diversifying while in city centered, popular includes people from province around. The competition in city is quite high, especial in self-nominated group.

Recommendations:

Marketing segment must be done in geography. In addition, the behavior of voter, local culture needs to be assessment.

3.2.5. Candidate Positioning

Findings:

Communicate brand name has effect in political field in Vietnam. Senator was recognized by promoting of media. And their images depend on their frequency of appearance in mass media.

Recommendations:

First of all, the candidate need fair evaluation of themselves to find out their core competencies.

The candidate may position themselves depending on their professional skill.

The candidate can position as ―economic reformer‖, as the same way of Deputy Nguyen Tan Dung. The candidate may target to corporation‘s group by promise in reducing corporate income tax.

The candidate may position themselves depending on their political style to

earn respect and leadership in their organization and citizens. The candidate may position as person who has long-term vision in leading country develop, ability to solve the important issues of the nation. Or they are labels themselves as an ―elite‘s politician‖ as senator Nguyen Thi Viet Nhan.

Secondly, candidate must pay attention on the frequency of appearance on mass media. All media tool need to be use in appropriate manner for maximum impact. And the field that candidate position in must be their passion and ability.

3.2.6. Marketing strategy

Findings:

Competition in election campaign appeared and increased slowly neither in socio-political organization nor in public. When competition pressure increases the candidates need strong support from marketing tools.

Competition among self-nominees is the highest in comparison with other group. In consultative conferences, no seats are stand for this group. In my point of view, next election will be higher competition in all interest group.

The member of Party is not also faced with candidates internal but with other competitor from mass organization, self-nominees group. They must have an effective electoral campaign to win either have support from party.

Recommendations;

A marketing strategy is a plan of action that is a plan of action that is used to implement a series of activities that will insure success in the marketplace.

The student suggests a marketing strategy applying in Vietnamese political market.

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First is building campaign platform.

Second is designing suitable marketing strategies.

Third is implementation marketing strategy.

Last one is assessment and adjustment during implementation.

1. Building the campaign platform:

The product in politics is the policies and image of the candidate. In Vietnam, the product is known as his reputation and political supporters. To be successful, a candidate not only has to market himself, but his campaign platform as well. The campaign platform evolves over the course of the political campaign. It is influenced by several sources, including the candidate himself, the people in his organization, the party, and especially by the voters.

To guarantee successful marketing strategy, first of all candidates must organize his people in to a teamwork running for electoral campaign, here called the election board. Depending on their budget, a board of election is established. At least this board includes consultant in legal field, economic and media. Legal system is very complex while the candidates only deep understand in some specific field that they work in. A legal assistance takes responsibility in giving the advice in case of the candidates less knowledge.

Otherwise the candidates often collect much advice/complaint in the meeting with voter. They lack professional skill to transform these complaints, advices into legitimacy document. The assistance will translate their idea to draft bill, for example. It‘s mean that the candidates may go further than stop at idea‘

stage. The assistance also supports the candidate in preparation election‘s documents and solving complaint and denunciations.

The candidates also need assistance in media management. In election campaign the candidates will win if they come closely with voters and interest group alliance. The assistance will design message suitable with local citizens, in term of languages, culture, psychology… Image of candidates will be approached public consistency.

Third, the candidates need support in socio-economic issues. One of three function of deputy is deciding the important things of the nation. The issue is not only in local, but in national and even global prospect.

Next step, this board and the candidate will discuss on marketing strategy.

2. Designing marketing strategy:

Of course the objective of any candidate is elected. To achieve this objective the candidate need an effective marketing strategy. First of all the voter needs and political context in local are studied as presented above. The image and core competence of candidates need be evaluated by election board. From the result the candidate chooses the segmentation that he/she takes competitive advantage. The gap between current position and expected position are defined as the marketing objectives. The action plan is built based on these objectives. Action plan states specific goals, tools, timing, evaluation indicator, and time for sum up and adjustment.

Next step is implementation action plan through marketing channel.

3. Implementing the marketing plan;

There are two marketing channel, push marketing and pull marketing.

Push marketing:

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It is imperative that candidates have an effective political supporter network to win. Political supporter is leading people coming from CPV, VFF, Government, People‘ Committee and People‘ Council. Five institutions keep key role in evaluation and selection what candidates are suitable. Firstly, candidate must join one of these organizations and become known. He/she need to develop a political style that will earn respect and leadership in his organization/party. It‘s necessary to find out what the member of the political organization want from the political process. And the candidate can appear to be instrumental in their desires. Secondly, a candidate must exhibit an interest in becoming candidate in an upcoming election. He must fraternize with the leaders and attempt to get their backing. He must enter an internal election and win the support of the organization‘s voters.

For self-nominated they must represent for a group like poor people, HIV/AISD patient, for example. No one can win election by standing for individual benefits. It‘s a basic principle in any election in any country.

Pull Marketing

Pull marketing is the second information channel, and centers on the use of the mass media to get the candidate's message out to the voters. Political advertising is, of course, only one component in the development of a marketing strategy for a candidate, but is widely regarded as the most important marketing component in any campaign.

There are several options available to a candidate, including the television, radio, newspapers, blog, email, online interaction, live show debate on specific issues.

4. Evaluation and adjustment:

In each step and during the campaign candidate must sum up the result of implementation plan. An adjustment is necessary if it‘s required. The marketing strategy must be evaluate carefully to gain the lessons in case of the candidate was defeat. If the candidate elected the marketing campaign need to be adopted to reinforce his/her image in new role.

When applying marketing strategy, the candidate must remember one thing.

Vietnamese political is very complex. So the candidate cannot afford to formulate the marketing strategy simply on the basis of voter market response. They need calculate to win the support of the party, socio-political organizations, and interest groups to guarantee successful.

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CONCLUSION

Political marketing is becoming more and more popular worldwide. In fact, a good political marketing strategy and campaign can make a great contribute to the success of a politician.

This thesis, at first, have synthesized the marketing theories concerning the politic and political strategy from definitions to technical issues like conducting market research, observing and analyzing voter (elector) behavior, etc in order to provide a full picture of marketing activities in politic.

Secondly, the author from her observation and data collection has provided reader with the current situation and issues related to election activities in Vietnam as well as giving her own quantitative assessment regarding the collected date.

Thirdly, the author has proposed some recommendations on designing and implementing a political marketing strategy and plan for politicians in Vietnam. However, these recommendations within their scopes could not be considered as comprehensive, the author then look forward to receiving further contributions and comments from experts as well as people who are interested in this topic.

This thesis can be useful for students or researches in conducting further researches on this matter and can provide some general guidelines of candidates who to be joining the politic field.

References

Tiếng Việt

1. Trương Quốc Chính, ―Tìm hiểu sự phát triển nhận thức về Nhà nước pháp quyền xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam‖, tạp chí Quản lýs Nhà nước, số 140(9-2007), tr. 8-11.

2. Trương Thị Hồng Hà, ―Tăng cường hoạt động giám sát của quốc hội theo nghị quyết đại hội X Đảng Cộng Sản Việt Nam‖, Tạp chí Nhà nước và Pháp luật, số 3/2007, tr. 3-6.

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6. Vũ Hữu Ngoạn, ―Phát huy dân chủ, giữ vững kỳ cương. Một số vấn đề cơ bản của tổ chức và sinh hoạt Đảng‖, tạp chí Lịch sử Đảng, số 8/2007, tr. 49-51.

7. Vũ Văn Nhiêm, 2007, ―Pháp luật bầu cử nhìn từ góc độ bảo đảm tự do, công bằng, cạnh tranh và tính đại diện‖, Nhà nước và Pháp luật, số 4/2007, tr.5-18.

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8. Nguyễn Phước Thọ, ―Khái quát quá trình phát triển của cơ cấu tổ chức Chính phủ Việt Nam từ năm 1946 đến nay‖, Tạp chí Nhà nước và Pháp luật, số 2/2007, tr. 44-56

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Tiếng Anh

10. Andrew Lock and Phil Harris, Political marketing-vive la difference!, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 30, 1996, pp. 14-24.

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Political marketing in Italy, Journal of Political Marketing, Vol. 3, 2004, pp. 17-41.

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14. Bruce I. Newman, 1999, Handbook of Political Marketing, Sage publications, Thousand Oaks, California

15. Bruce I. Newman, 2001, An assessment of the 2000 US presidential election: A set of political marketing guideliness, Journal of Public Affairs Vol. 1 No. 3, 2001, pp. 210-216.

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