AN EXPLORATION OF THE POLITICAL BRAND EQUITY AND ITS IMPACT ON VOTER PREFERENCE AND POLITICAL POPULARITY IN SOUTHERN THAILAND

Abstract

The notion of political brand equity originates from the broader concept of brand equity. Although examining political brands, along with their associated brand equity and constituent elements, holds considerable societal relevance, this area has received limited scholarly attention. To address this gap, the present study employed a bibliometric analysis alongside a cross-sectional survey to (a) outline publication patterns concerning political brands, (b) identify key authors contributing to this field, (c) explore the relationship between political brand equity and its components with voter preferences, and (d) assess the association between political brand equity, its components, and political popularity in Southern Thailand. The results indicate that scholarly output on political brands has demonstrated a steady increase between 1989 and 2024. Moreover, findings from the questionnaire survey highlight that awareness, perceived quality, loyalty, and leadership constitute critical elements of political brand equity. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that the principles of brand equity and its individual components are applicable within the domain of political branding, offering practical insights for the strategic development of political brand equity.