An examination of political marketing's mass communication tools and voting behaviour with a focus on generations Y and Z

The present thesis examines the impact of mass media used in political marketing on Generation Y and Z individuals and the voting behaviour of these generations. With digital globalisation, the radical increase in the importance of technology in daily life and the changing nature of human relationships have led to diversification and differentiation in voters' ways of obtaining information and voting behaviour. Unlike previous studies that focused solely on traditional mass media, this study examines new mass media and the new forms of political participation that have emerged with these new mass media, and conducts a comparative analysis of Generations Y and Z. In this sense, the study aims to provide the most up-to-date contribution to the literature. In order to obtain the findings of the study, a quantitative research method, namely a survey, was conducted. The survey, distributed to students at Erzurum Technical University, was administered in both online and face-to-face formats, with a total of 686 participants. Of these, 502 surveys were deemed suitable for the research. The application of statistical data analysis programmes was instrumental in conducting a comprehensive analysis of the surveys. This involved the implementation of frequency analyses, mean analyses, chi-square tests, and ordered linear grouped regression analysis, culminating in the attainment of the study's findings. The results of the study were then compared with similar studies in the literature, highlighting both the similarities and differences with the studies in question. The study has determined that mass communication tools used to access political information and factors influencing voting behaviour are similar among Generation Y and Generation Z individuals. It was found that social media tools affect the level of political participation and voting behaviour of Generation Y and Z individuals. Income level was found to directly affect the level of political participation and voting behaviour of Generation Y and Z individuals. In terms of obtaining political information, it was found that Generation Y and Z individuals particularly prefer the X and Instagram platforms. Furthermore, it was found that 87.6% of Generation Y and Z's political participation can be categorised as 'passive participation'. However, it was concluded that mass communication tools used in political marketing, particularly social media platforms, are an important factor in increasing the political participation of Generation Y and Z individuals. Key Words: Political Marketing, Political Participation, Mass Media, Voting Behaviour, Generation Y, Generation Z