Has Word of Mouth Advertising in Cyberspace Affected Iran's 2017 Presidential Elections?

Abstract

The main objective of political marketing is to facilitate the exchange and benefit for political groups. In this process, special tools and techniques are considered that political marketing seeks to increase the power of political groups in political conflicts, especially in the electoral constituency. Unofficial consumer communications bring many opportunities and opportunities for marketers. The most serious issues that arise for election parties are the negative damage caused by the rumors. Optimistically, political marketers can use word of mouth (WOM) communications for voters in a variety of ways. A total of 110 questionnaires were distributed electronically among the participants in the Iranian presidential elections of 2017. In this questionnaire, the effects of WOM advertisements on the image of the party and its effect on voter turnout were examined. Demographic information was analyzed by using the SPSS software. Data were analyzed by using LISREL software. Results showed that WOM advertising (intensity, positive valence, negative valence) has had no effect on the image of the parties, and the positive or negative behavior (recommendation to others / lack of advice to others).