Valuation of candidate brand equity dimensions and voting intention: alternative polling data in the Spanish presidential election

Abstract

Abstract The current research examines the options available for political candidates to leverage their brand in order to influence voting intentions. Candidates, owing to the strong psychological connections they establish with their voters, are well-positioned to construct brand equity. Emotions are part of any brand–consumer relationship, but in the case of politics, the importance of this dimension may be more significant given that the brand, in this case, is a living person. This is expressed in the degree of consumer–voter commitment and emotional involvement. A multidimensional construct of brand equity is used to explore the relationships between its dimensions and voter intentions. The findings suggest a robust correlation between candidates’ brand equity and respondents’ future voting intentions. In addition, it is feasible to ascertain the characteristics of the brand equity of the different candidates and to identify the dimensions on which to focus efforts to improve brand equity. The current study enhances the utilization of candidate brand equity assessment as a viable alternative to polling data in practice. Its contribution lies in the potential to effectively manage the various dimensions of brand equity for the benefit of a candidate.