MARKETING POLITICIANS ON FACEBOOK: AN EXAMINATION OF THE SINGAPORE GENERAL ELECTION 2011

Abstract

In recent years, politicians have been using social network sites in garnering votes and supporters. However, marketing on social network sites is distinctively different from traditional marketing as consumers no longer play a passive role on this new marketing platform. This paper examines the use of social network site by two young female politicians in the recent General Election in Singapore and concludes that campaigning on social network sites raises two important issues. First of all, social network sites allows for the electorate to contribute to the discussion on the suitability of the candidate for political office. The online community can shape the image of the politician and affect electoral outcomes by selecting the type of message to propagate within the social network site. Secondly, popularity in social network sites does not translate into political victory as users of social network sites are generally younger than the electorate and popularity online is a reflection of this segment and not of the larger population.

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