Marketing Brexit: Young Voter Opinion, Engagement and Future Intention in the Context of the EU Referendum: An Abstract

Abstract

This study addresses explicit calls for comparative research of young voter behaviour in political marketing (Needham and Smith 2015; Neilsen 2015). Existing studies on the behaviour of young voters [18–24 years] reveal a paradox. Young voters are often less engaged in the political process, highly disillusioned and distrusting of the political establishment compared with other age groups (Dermody and Hanmer-Lloyd 2010; Dermody and Hanmer-Lloyd 2004; Phelps 2005). However, despite this mistrust and disengagement, research suggests that young voters are interested in political issues and topics (Bakker 2011; Yeung 2016). Existing research suggests there is a danger that political disengagement of young voters can become ‘habitual’ and subsequently have a negative impact on participation and voter intention in future elections (Dermody and Hanmer-Lloyd 2010). Previous studies in this area have tended to focus on periodic elections (general presidential elections) rather than nontraditional intermittent campaigns such as referenda. Responding to this gap in the body of knowledge, this study investigates whether intermittent campaigns (such as the UK EU Referendum) have an impact on young voter engagement, participation and future voting intentions compared with periodic elections.