AN EXAMINATION OF THE IMPACT OF POLITICAL MARKETING DURING THE 2019 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA

Bigman Nwala, Temple Uwalaka

Abstract


The debate on the influence of political advertisements is an ongoing one. It has been argued that political messages advertised during elections tend to change voter preference of candidates during election as other studies show that political advertisements have null effect on voter preferences during elections. This study attempts to lend a voice to the debate by examining the impact of newspaper political advertisements on voter behaviour during the 2019 general elections in South-South Zone of Nigeria. The study reports data from a content analysis (N=196) and a (paper-based) survey (N=400) of voters in the South-South Zone of Nigeria. Findings demonstrate that majority of the issues advertised in the newspapers by both the APC and PDP were on the economy and security. Result further demonstrates who were married and are civil servants reported to have been motivated to vote and made their candidate choice based on the issues advertised in the newspapers by the APC and PDP. Among others, the study recommends that political parties should carefully and strategically construct their newspaper political advertisement messages to reflect the political parties and their candidates’ strengths and campaign promises.

Keywords


political advertisement; political marketing; persuasive messages; 2019 elections; Nigeria;

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.47851/naujocommed.v2i2.126

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Department of Mass Communication. Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka.

ISSN:2756-486X (Online)