The Influence of Billboard Advertising on Electorate’s Voting Decision: A Study of the 2019 Cross River State Gubernatorial Campaign

Abstract

This study examined the influence of billboard advertising on electorate’s voting decision during the 2019 Cross River State gubernatorial campaign. The study sought to ascertain the level of relevance attached to billboards as a means of political information by the electorates, to find out if the voters in Cross River State actually believed in the political messages presented on the billboards, as well as to ascertain if the electorate were actually influenced by the billboard messages. To achieve these, relevant concepts and empirical studies were reviewed and the agenda setting theory as well as the social marketing theory were adopted in the study to establish a workable theoretical framework. The study employed the mixed method with the questionnaire and interview inventory as the research instrument. Through multi-stage sampling, 399 respondents were selected for the survey from the three senatorial districts in Cross River state and 2 interviewees for in-depth interviews. The findings indicated among other things, that electorates in Cross River State were significantly influenced by their exposure to these billboards and most of them were persuaded not only by the messages but by the visual composition of the billboard. The study found out that the billboards are at a better advantage over the handheld printed communication media, which might be easily misplaced by an individual. In the light of the findings, the study concluded that the billboard can be used both for political campaigning and for political orientation/education. With these, it was recommended that billboards should be constructed with materials that will be able to withstand any weather condition without being damaged in order to sustain its messages. Its messages can also be written in local dialects in order to induce the desired results from the electorate. The study also recommended that the government should adopt billboards as major tools for political education and electoral orientation.