Is television helping this become an experiential marketing election?

When I first reflected on the last week's leaders debate, and the impact on the polls, I concluded that the debates had acted as a shot in the arm to the transactional marketing approach. That despite all the hype about the Internet, direct mail from the parties and the importance local campaigns in the battelground seats, mass communication channels had reasserted their primacy. Instead of buying soap powder as suggested by Kotler and Levy in 1969, many voters were thinking of buying 'Clegg' in 2010. This strongly suggested a one-off tranactional approach.

However, it is quite possible that the leaders' debates could actually encourage an experiential marketing approach to this election. I note that Nick Clegg has observed that there is a "fluidity in this election which we haven't seen for perhaps a generation. " Of course he would say this, but if, and it is a big if, he is correct a long term increase in Lib Dem poll rating might well be the result of an emotional attachment. Enough voters might say that this is an important election and I am fed up with the big two parties. I am not saying this will happen, but it a perverse way the leaders debate may have increased the chance of an emotional attachment being made, and not just voting based on rationally or past behaviour.