The Original Nkrumah Prsesentation

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Presentation by Kobby Mensah MSc., DipM ACIM., PhD Candidate Department of Journalism Studies University of Sheffield Minalloy House United Kingdom Contact: www.kobbymensah.com 17/ 06 / 2007

Kwame Nkrumah and Political Marketing:: 

Kwame Nkrumah and Political Marketing: Locating Osagyefo’s Campaign Strategy in Modern Political Campaigning

Content: 

Content Definitions What motivated the research? The Aims of the Research Methodology Conceptual Underpinnings Conclusions Recommendations Questions & Answers

Definitions : 

Definitions Period under consideration: 1945 – 1957 Location: Gold Coast, present day Ghana Subject area: Nkrumah and CPP political organisation and campaigning

What motivated the research?: 

What motivated the research? Why is Nkrumah referred to as ‘the greatest African’ Is there a link between Nkrumah’s campaign and modern political campaigning The need for fresh thinking and renewed debate on other areas which also contributed to his success

Aims of the research: 

Aims of the research Is to provoke debate Identify the events, instruments and approaches that were central to Nkrumah’s campaign To prompt a new area of study to both academia and practitioners of the Ghanaian political market

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Methods… Review of Relevant Literature Websites Interview manuscripts of some top CPP Officials

Nkrumah and Political marketing: What is the link?: 

Nkrumah and Political marketing: What is the link? It seems the golden rule of Marketing: “a market-driven organisation stays close to the customer and well ahead of competition” (Hutt and Speh, 1998, p 226-7) …and so is a Political organisation to Voters

…and the golden rule of the CPP party: 

…and the golden rule of the CPP party ‘Go to the people, live among them, learn from them, love them, serve them, plan with them, start with what they know, and build on what they have” for...the masses of the people form the backbone of our Party. Their living conditions and their welfare must be paramount in everything we do. It is for them in particular and Africa in general, that our party exists’. (Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, 1949). Source: www.cppghana.com

Conceptual Underpinning: 

Conceptual Underpinning Political marketing in simple terms is a marriage between two social science disciplines – political science and marketing (Lees-Marshment, 2001) It is referred to as the ‘adaptation’ of commercial marketing concepts and techniques by political actors to organise, implement and manage political activities to realise political goals (Butler and Collins, 1999; Scammell, 1999; Lees-Marshment, 2001)

How was marketing adapted to Nkrumah’s campaign: 

How was marketing adapted to Nkrumah’s campaign The use of the marketing instruments of 4Ps – Product Price Promotion Place Please Note: The 4Ps, instead of the extended 7Ps, is considered due to time limitation and also because the other three factors: people, physical evidence and process, all come into play in the discussion of the 4Ps in this research

Product function: 

Product function In Marketing: tangible / intangible feature of value for exchange and to manage expectations (Dibb et al, 2001) In Political Marketing: the product is the political candidate, policy intentions and ideological framework of the party in sync with each other (Hanneberg, 2003) At CPP, the product was the ‘trinitorial’ character of Nkrumah, the Party and the ‘Self Government Now’ policy that managed the expectations for the Independence

Parallels of the CPP product: 

Parallels of the CPP product Ordinary / Simplicity: The Candidate: Nkrumah, a blend of tradition and ‘elitism’. Dress code of the Smock, Kente and the Suit. Observing traditional rituals and religious values to identify himself with locals The Party: Leadership and Membership made up of ordinary Gold Coaster’s. E.g. The ‘Veranda Boys’ concept, market women etc The Policy: ‘Self Government Now’ as a simple language to offer clear and timely direction

Price / Cost Function: 

Price / Cost Function In Marketing: the ‘value’ on what is exchanged (Dibb et al, 2001) In Political Marketing: The psychological construct made up of ‘voters feelings of national, economic, and psychological hope or insecurity’ (Niffenegger, 1989) The Gold Coaster’s were made to know that the price to pay for voting UGCC was the return of the Imperialist through the ballot box and that for voting Nkrumah and the CPP was clear leadership with total liberation vision

Place / Distribution function : 

Place / Distribution function In marketing: The conditions that make available the exchange offer to the exchange partners In Political Marketing: The ranks and file members of a Party. The “distribution of candidate as a product surrogate” through speaking events, rallies. And the grass roots that provide local electioneering support, canvassing and leafleting for the party campaign (Hanneberg, 2003; Harris, 2001)

…Place / Distribution function (cont) : 

At CPP, Nkrumah, the Leadership of the Party and the network of different groups, e.g. the marketing women, the Committee on Young Organisation (C.Y.O) etc, ensured a regular flow of interaction to and from the electorates …Place / Distribution function (cont)

Promotion / Communication functions: 

Promotion / Communication functions In marketing: Informing the primary exchange partners of the offer and its availability In Political Marketing: It aids the interpretation and sense making of the complex political market (Kotler and Kotler, 1999) At CPP: Images were used to convey political ideas and to make simple the visions of Nkrumah and the CPP party

…Promotion / Communication functions (cont): 

Leadership: Evidenced in him being Intellectual and Charismatic Commitment to the people : Evidenced in his observation of traditional / local values and rituals Progressive: Evidenced in slogans such as ‘self government now’, ‘forward ever, backward never’ …Promotion / Communication functions (cont)

Nkrumah’s Political Communication: An Integrated Approach : 

Nkrumah’s Political Communication: An Integrated Approach Different instruments of the CPP campaign contributed to different functions. For example, the distribution function also served as communication in the process of campaigning. Parallel to the mix nature of the marketing instruments of 4Ps which proposes an integrated interaction

Conclusion: 

Conclusion Nkrumah’s Political Campaign Strategy was inherent with some principal marketing concepts, suggesting parallels between Nkrumah’s political campaigning and the Political Marketing paradigm One of the reason why Nkrumah is ‘the greatest African’ is also because of his use of concepts only observed in research years after his death. An example is Political marketing, this research shows.

Recommendation: 

Recommendation This research recommends that Political Marketing works, as shown in the case of Nkrumah. Hence the need for it its taught and research in Ghanaian academic institutions to enhance political and electioneering practices in Democratic Ghana

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The end Thank you for your attention and now ? time please