The Theoretical Foundations of Political Branding: Introducing the Brand Voter Model and its Methodological Anchoring Cover Image

Teoretická východiska politického brandingu: představení modelu voliče orientovaného na hodnotu značky a jeho metodologické ukotvení
The Theoretical Foundations of Political Branding: Introducing the Brand Voter Model and its Methodological Anchoring

Author(s): Daniela Vašátková
Subject(s): Communication studies, Political behavior, Politics and communication
Published by: Masarykova univerzita nakladatelství
Keywords: Voting Behaviour; Political Marketing; Political Branding; Theories of Voting Behaviour; Political Brand

Summary/Abstract: Since the 1960s, voting behaviour in advanced democratic states has undergone substantial changes. From this period, the transformation of social structures, increased education, and the expansion of new technologies in the field of mass media, among other things, are evident. The transformation factors that affect the voter and his choice are sooner or later reflected in new theoretical concepts describing electoral behaviour, whether it was the theory of party identification, voter choice based on issues or rational choice. So far, however, none of the theories have adequately reflected the effect of consumer-style thinking on electoral behaviour. A new trend in political marketing – political branding – aims to correct precisely this deficiency. Due to the fact that the relevant research in the field of political branding and its impact on the voting behaviour of individuals is still in its infancy, we are faced with a lack of robust theoretical foundations. The text thus aims to clarify this situation by gathering and analysing existing branding concepts, pointing to their strengths and weaknesses. Also, it contributes to the theoretical discussion by linking research on political branding to existing theories of voting behaviour, asking whether the related branding concepts are able to explain the voting behaviour of voters as well as whether they are open to further amendments and modifications.

  • Issue Year: XIX/2017
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 164-188
  • Page Count: 25
  • Language: Czech