Celebrity Endorsement of Political Aspirants and its Effects on College Students in Lagos

Main author: Agina, Anulika
Other authors: Ekwevugbe, Akpevwe
Format: Journal Article           
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id eprints-32045
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
description This article examines two main research questions: what factors justify celebrity endorsement as an election campaign strategy given the increasing doubts associated with celebrity involvement in politics? Did celebrity endorsement of political aspirants influence young adults’ voting behaviour during the 2015 elections in Lagos? Using mixed method approaches, and supported by source credibility and celebrity endorsement debates, a survey was conducted with a sample of 375 students of the Yaba College of Technology. Three semi-structured interviews with members of successful campaign teams were also conducted. Our findings revealed that campaign managers have huge confidence in the celebrity endorsement strategy for several reasons and would employ the approach in future. Further, the young people interrogated revealed that two-thirds of them are fans of Nollywood stars and music icons. But they were not influenced to vote on the basis of the celebrities’ say-so. These findings are somewhat consistent with extant literature, but suggest the need for further studies regarding how celebrities translate fandom to votes.
format Journal Article
author Agina, Anulika
author_facet Agina, Anulika
Ekwevugbe, Akpevwe
authorStr Agina, Anulika
author_letter Agina, Anulika
author2 Ekwevugbe, Akpevwe
author2Str Ekwevugbe, Akpevwe
title Celebrity Endorsement of Political Aspirants and its Effects on College Students in Lagos
publisher Intellect
publishDate 2017
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/32045/