The Influence of Political Marketing, Personal Branding, and Party Branding on Voters’ Decision-Making amid the Dominance of Generation Z (A Case Study of Malang City)

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the influence of political marketing, personal branding, and party branding on voters’ decision-making in selecting legislative candidates among Generation Z (Gen Z) in Malang City. The research is motivated by the phenomenon of young voter dominance in the 2024 General Election, which accounted for more than 55% of the total registered voters, accompanied by a shift in political communication patterns toward digital media. Employing a quantitative approach and Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) analysis, this study involved 100 Gen Z respondents selected through purposive sampling based on high levels of digital activity. The results indicate that all three independent variables have a positive and significant effect on voters’ decision-making, with personal branding emerging as the most dominant factor (β = 0.487), followed by political marketing (β = 0.364) and party branding (β = 0.321). These findings confirm that political personalization and entertainment-oriented digital content play a vital role in shaping Gen Z voting behavior, while the institutional role of party branding tends to weaken. This study provides empirical contributions to understanding the dynamics of young voters’ political behavior in the digital era and offers strategic implications for political parties and legislative candidates in designing effective and relevant campaign strategies.