Keyword

Political Brand, Brand Trust, Voter Trust, Political Cynicism, Political Parties, Pakistan.

Abstract

The mind-set of voters, taking part in general elections of Pakistan has matured over the years. Politically, they have become more aware and at the same time demanding as well. Therefore, it is argued that the political parties, in the near future, shall have to plan their political marketing in a more responsive, accountable and in a professional manner. That could be the major possible reason that research interest in application of brand management principles to political parties is continuously increasing in developed countries. Managing a political party on the basis of brand management is very challenging task. But, by applying traditional branding theories to political marketing, it is possible to develop an increased knowledge of brand behavior in politics. In addition to brand attributes, trust plays a significant role in developing long-term relationship with voters. Voters make electoral choices analogous to commercial brand typology to choose among the available choices based on trust. Election results are evident of the fact that voters are continuously switching parties due to lack of trust in politics of the Pakistan. Purpose of this paper is to identify the possible reasons of decline in trust and the role of trust in making electoral choices. Specifically, this paper investigates three core questions. First, what are the reasons for candidates’ decline in trust? Secondly, what are the key factors, according to the political experts, that will h


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