An Assessment of Political Marketing Strategies and Electoral Processes in the 2015 Gubernatorial Election in Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed the relevance of political marketing strategies in the electoral processes through the 2015 gubernatorial election in Oyo State, Nigeria. The study attempted to paint a picture of the essence of marketing methods in politics, while some background information was provided on the five (5) political heavyweights that jostled for the governorship position in Oyo State in the year 2015.

The three-stage model for political marketing was adopted as the underpinning theory for the study, while a historical discourse on the gubernatorial election in the “Pacesetters State” was also made explicit. The study revealed that political strategies such as developing a narrative, social media marketing, negative campaigning, direct mail marketing, media, and public relations were conceptualized as tactics adopted by political parties and their gubernatorial candidates in the build-up to the 2015 gubernatorial election in Oyo State.

The study concluded that bridging the gap between marketing and politics requires a deep knowledge of political systems and marketing savvy. It was recommended that political marketing strategies and electioneering campaign tactics should be allowed to impact positively on the Nigerian electoral system. It is the belief of the researcher that such an impact would go a long way towards deepening Nigerian democratic governance and ensuring the successful conduct of future elections in the country.