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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 9, No. 1

Publication Date: January 25, 2022

DOI:10.14738/assrj.91.9852. Glate, S. N., & Ganyaglo, F. K. (2022). Assessing Political Brand Relationship as Leverage for Voter Preference in Ghana. Advances

in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(1). 426-436.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Assessing Political Brand Relationship as Leverage for Voter

Preference in Ghana

Stanley Nelvis Glate

Ho Technical University

Francis K. Ganyaglo

Ho Technical University

ABSTRACT

This research is an empirical assessment of political brand relationship as leverage

for voter preference and choice of candidates by voters in Ghana. The objective of

the study is to ascertain the use of political brand relationship for leveraging

preference of voters. The study used a total sample size of 10 key party and labour

union representatives. The research found out that voter identification and

differentiation of a political party from one another, as a process, has positive

effects on the voting motivations of respondents and their choice of candidates. The

research established that political brand of a party causes voters to accept and

identify with a particular party. Finally, the research revealed that desire to help

voters, fulfilment of promises, the creation and sharing of wealth and safety issues

were of paramount concern to voters. The study also found out that, political brand

relationship building has positive impact on voter attraction/preference of the

voter. Voters identified themselves with political brands on the basis of brand

characteristics such as economic freedom, social status, safety, recognition and

personal achievement. The study further found out that political parties are liable

to be neglected by voters when there is failure to establish a brand relationship. The

research recommends that in order to track or monitor changes in aspirations and

needs, political parties should undertake regular marketing research with a view to

obtaining current information regarding what voters want. The study further

recommends that, politicians should segment, target and position their parties or

candidates properly in the political market space, if they are to be victorious in

elections.

Keywords: Political Brand Relationship, Party Brand Image, Voter Preference

INTRODUCTION

Relationship marketing has prompted brand managers to seek innovative ways to create

mutually beneficial relationships with consumers (Mitchell & Orwig, 2002). Previous studies

on political–brand relationships were mainly focused on the relationship formulation (e.g.,

Bagozzi, 1995; Duncan & Moriarty, 1998; Fournier, 1998; Peterson, 1995), relationship

development (e.g., Fajer & Schouten, 1995; Fournier, 1998; Franzen, 1999), relationship

pattern (e.g Fournier, 1998; Kaltcheva & Weitz, 1999), relationship scheme (e.g., Blackston,

1992; Duncan & Moriarty, 1998; Fournier, 1998; Franzen, 1999; Hess, 1998), and the response

effects of brand relationship (e.g., Kaltcheva & Weitz, 1999; Park & Kim, 2001).

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Glate, S. N., & Ganyaglo, F. K. (2022). Assessing Political Brand Relationship as Leverage for Voter Preference in Ghana. Advances in Social Sciences

Research Journal, 9(1). 426-436.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.91.9852

According to Schmitt (1999), experiential marketing has proven itself to be a good starting

point for studies on political-brand relationship. Franzen (1999) continued that the political–

brand relationship is in the final stages of the mental brand responses. He also claimed that the

political-brand relationship is formed by voters experience and political party knowledge (or

brand meanings). According to Monga (2002), the use of relationship metaphors in political

party–brand context facilitated the understanding of brand loyalty, in-depth information about

voters’ needs and wants, and thereby assisted parties to improve better policies and marketing

activities.

Traditionally, the field of voting behavior has gained powerful insights from concepts such as

cleavage structure, party identification (Campbell et al., 1960) and issue ownership (Budge and

Farlie, 1983; Petrocik, 1996). On the other hand, the field of political brands has illustrated, for

example, how a brand is used by voters to differentiate between political parties (Scammell,

2007; Smith and Alan, 2009), project a certain identity (Smith, 2009), or establish brand loyalty

(Needham, 2005; Phipps et al., 2010). An important stream of research in political marketing

has focused on modeling how voters learn about political parties and make voting decisions

based on this information (O’Cass and Pecotich, 2005; Cwalina et al., 2004). According to

Nielsen and Larsen (2014), brands are vital to people. They are able to create signals, both

emotionally and functionally, that can ease the decision-making process when a person is

confronted with a complex bundle of alternatives. Although the importance of brands was

originally established in marketing research, its logic has diffused to many areas of society

(Marsh and Fawcett, 2011); in particular, during the last two decades, the study of brands in

politics has evolved in regards to parties, party leaders and party campaigns (French and Smith,

2010). Against this background, this article aims to bring together the two fields of voting

behavior and political brands to examine whether a party brand influences a voter’s propensity

to vote for that particular party.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

The relationship perspective has become increasingly popular as a theoretical lens for

understanding political-brand interactions (Aaker, Fournier, and Brasel 2004; Escalas and

Bettman, 2005; Fournier, 1998). Consumers (voters) according to Mensah (2009) are known

to form strong relationships with those political brands that have values and personality

associations that are congruent with voters’ self-concepts (Sirgy, 1982). In this way, political

brand relationships can be viewed as expressions of voters’ identities (Escalas and Bettman,

2005). The relevance of political marketing and electoral victory has been highlighted by

Hinson and Tweneboah-koduah (2010). There is a particular focus in their work on

understanding political marketing communication issues pertaining to the 2008 Ghanaian

presidential elections with a twist on political brand relationship. The relevance of building

brand relationship with voters in Ghana cannot be overemphasized since the foremost goal of

every political party is to win and hold onto the support of voters. This study seeks to address

the shortcoming of political brand relationships with voters specifically for the area of political

marketing. Bannon (2003) argued that a relationship marketing approach in the political

sphere is under-researched but is potentially fruitful from an applied as well as a theoretical

perspective. The objective of this study is therefore to ascertain the usage of political brand

relationship for leveraging preference of voters.