Political Branding and Voting Behavior in Taiwan's 2024 Election

• In Event: Explaining the 2024 Taiwan Presidential Election

Abstract

Recent scholarly debate suggests a waning influence of traditional cleavages and party identifications on Western voting behavior, with issue ownership voting not sufficiently bridging this gap. This study proposes a novel approach by examining whether political brands and leaders' images are pivotal in shaping voter preferences. The integration of voting behavior and political marketing literature provides a fresh perspective, one that has been overlooked in previous research.

The paper embarks on a theoretical distinction between the brand concept and existing heuristics and voting models. It advances by measuring the brand value of Taiwan's leading political parties, employing survey data gathered before the 2024 general elections. This brand value serves as the cornerstone for our empirical analysis, scrutinizing the impact of party branding on voter decisions.

The investigation culminates in a significant revelation: Political Brand Value (PBV) exerts influence over voting choices, even when controlling for other pertinent explanatory variables. This finding suggests that political branding is more than a mere electoral accessory; it is a critical determinant in modern electoral processes. The implications of this discovery extend to political campaign strategies and the broader understanding of voter behavior dynamics in the digital age.

Author

• Dennis Lu-Chung Weng, Sam Houston State University