Introduction: The 2016 US Presidential Election

Abstract

The introduction to this edited collection breaks down the focus of this book and considers the distinctive political marketing and branding strategies utilized by the candidates and their parties in one of the most gripping elections in US history. The book will focus on why this election is so unusual from a political marketing perspective, calling for new explanations and discussions about its implications for mainstream political marketing theory and practice. At a time of national economic and cultural crisis, candidates from both parties—Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders in particular—have appeared to overturn the conventional wisdom that has hitherto dominated US politics: That candidates should appear ‘presidential,’ be politically experienced and qualified to run for office, and avoid controversial and politically incorrect positions. This book presents scholarly perspectives and research with practitioner-relatable content on practices and discourses that look specifically at the Trump, Clinton , and Sanders campaigns and how they took current understandings of political marketing and branding in new directions.