The influence of digital political communication supported by neuromarketing methods on consumer perception towards a tourist destination

Abstract

Digital political communication is developing in parallel with the modernization of information and communication technologies. In an effort to design political messages as adequately as possible neuromarketing methods, that have already had astonishing commercial results, are increasingly being applied. These methods make it possible to find hidden subconscious information in the minds of consumers. Experts in the field of political marketing, wanting to communicate with the younger population, are increasingly employing social media influencers and use the benefits of electronic wordof-mouth communication (eWOM). Their posts are generally considered to be a credible source of information and tend to be viral (spread exponentially through the digital environment). Influencers have the power to encourage followers to engage in a discussion of a particular political phenomenon and share such information with other Internet users. Social media influencers can contribute to building a positive image of political candidates by presenting them as charismatic, ordinary people. In some situations, consumers may associate politically motivated communication with a tourist destination, which can have both positive and negative consequences depending on consumer attitudes towards a particular issue. Negative political comments (for example, messages placed in a digital environment by owner of tourist facility can cause a crisis on the website, and lead to a wave of electronic negative word-of-mouth communication (eWOM) and even boycott by consumers, which as a consequence can significantly endanger the company's image.