Analysis Of The Effects Of Ethnicity On Political Marketing In Ghana

Abstract

Analysis of vote data suggests that, among other performance factors, ethnicity plays a major role in the acceptability of political marketing approaches of partisan politics in Ghana.  This features quite prominently in the ethnic based voting pattern that has prevailed over the years and the communal voting pattern that is emerging in Ghana as a result of increasing urbanization. The analysis makes it evident that political parties with very strong ethnic support bases are those that have stood the test of time no matter what marketing tools or approaches are employed, though political marketing gains to a large extent depend on the features of the political product, the political product benefit and the political marketing support services.  The paper compares the results of the four different elections of the Fourth Republic of Ghana and attempts to make inferences on the effects of ethnicity on the voting patterns of the four (4) Presidential elections in the Fourth Republic. The analysis uses the voting patterns as a pointer to the acceptability and effectiveness of a political party’s marketing approach and by deduction, analyzes which political marketing variables contribute to the acceptability of political parties.  It also attempts to generate understanding of the political marketing variables such as dimensions of the Political Market, the Political Product and the ‘Political Product Support Services’ and compares effects of these variables  with effects of ethnicity  on political marketing outcomes in Ghana. The paper specifically compares features of the political product which include Party Philosophy, Perceived Party Identity, Manifesto, Political Party Leadership, Previous Performance, Particularistic Benefits,  Party Paraphernalia on elections outcomes among identified or classified ethnic groups at regional or communal level. In addition, the analysis reveals that personality, perceived party image or identity of the political party and communication are salient in determining political marketing outcomes or fortunes of a political party and to a less extent political product benefits based on past performance and experiences, whereas effects of particularistic benefits and party paraphernalia or the political marketing support services are less prominent.