EFFECT OF CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT ON YOUNG VOTER‟S CHOICE OF POLITICAL CANDIDATES IN CAPE COAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

ABSTRACT The study was conducted primarily to examine the effect of celebrity endorsement on young voters‟ choice of political candidates during national elections in Ghana. The study targeted Technical University students in Cape Coast Technical University. Explanatory research design, backed by quantitative research approach, was employed to survey 400 students from the institution. An estimated population of 2500 were targeted for the study. Simple random sampling was employed for the selection of the respondents. Structured questionnaire was used for the primary data collection through selfadministration exercise. The instrument had 0.825 internal consistency as measured by Cronbach‟s Alpha. Multiple regression was applied to assess the effect of celebrity endorsement on choice of political candidates. It was discovered that celebrity endorsement influences choice of political candidates among undergraduates than it does for both post graduates and graduates during national elections. Celebrity advertising and celebrity personality jointly accounted for a statistically significant moderate positive variance in choice of political candidates although only celebrity personality made a statistically significant positive contribution in this regard. Individually, celebrity advertising and celebrity personality respectively accounted for 10.4% and 36.6% significant positive variance in choice of political candidates. Political candidates and parties in Ghana must employ celebrity endorsement as a campaign strategy during national elections and they will change young voters voting intentions favorably towards their candidates.