Voters' voting intention: The salience of celebrity endorsement—Evidence from Ghana

Abstract

Partly spurred by the notion that celebrities wield potentials leverageable for political gains, the phenomenon of celebrity endorsement has become emblematic of political campaigns. While the use of celebrities in politics is on the ascendancy, its impact on electoral fortunes in bourgeoning democracies like Ghana where the concept is nascent, has received little research focus. Considering the anticipated gains, an empirical investigation in this regard will be imperative to the politics of transitioning polities. Against this backdrop, our study investigates the salience of celebrity endorsement to voters' voting intention. Employing a questionnaire‐drawn data via the survey method, with a sample of 745, results of data analysis anchored on the structural equation modeling technique revealed a significant positive relationship between endorser credibility and political brand credibility. Similarly, study results confirmed the significant positive relationship between political brand credibility and voting intention. Finally, the significant positive relationship between endorser credibility and voting intention was affirmed. Overall, the study outcomes verify the usefulness and appropriateness of the proposed model. Based on the results, implications for political strategy and suggestions for further research are subsequently delineated.