[LINK] "Double-double, with a splash of populism"

[rfmcdonald]

Toronto Star's Susan Delacourt argues that there's a strong possibility that Canadian politicians are no longer trying to speak to the entire population (if they ever did), but rather that they're opting for dumbed-down discourse aimed at select demographics. This worries me, and also amuses me, for I drink both Tim's coffee and coffee from cool swanky or indie coffee shops.

The reach and impact of these two different initiatives could demonstrate how far Canada has gone down the road to becoming a “Tim Hortons nation,” where citizens and consumers are seen as one and the same thing.

In the voter-consumer state, ads and marketing are the modern version of the old-fashioned political debate, and some worry that this will lead to dumbed-down discourse altogether — playing to people’s emotions, rather than their brains.

Moreover, in the fractured marketplace, where consumers are highly “segmented” according to buying preference, some worry that sophisticated political marketing will mean politicians abandoning the idea of one message for one country.

[. . .]

Mitch Wexler, head of a firm called Politrain and an advocate for the use of more consumer-type data in politics, believes that political communication can actually become more intelligent if there’s deeper understanding of how people buy.

“I don’t believe that by “targeting” certain types of people, that politicians or parties are necessarily treating people as consumers of their political product or brand, although I can understand why people might see it this way,” Wexler says.

“I see these demographics tools as a way for politicians to find relevant channels to communicate with people and build relationships with communities that need to be heard and represented. I believe these tools can help improve voter participation.”