Odette School of Business marketing professor Dave Bussière took a hands-on approach to developing content for his class on political marketing — by interviewing American swing voters.

Dr. Bussière has taught this special topic class for three successive U.S. presidential elections, focusing on the brands of each party and their promotional efforts.

“From a marketing perspective, think of Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris as each holding 45 per cent market share,” he says. “The remaining 10 per cent includes undecided voters and people disinclined to vote.”

To gain further insight into voter opinions to share with his class, Bussière decided to visit the battleground state of Pennsylvania. His stops included restaurants and public events in Erie County, a Pittsburgh suburb, and a borough of State College.

He says his findings “highlighted the importance of brand loyalty and enthusiasm,” and provided insight into the strength of both party’s brands.

To learn more about Bussière’s conversations and conclusions, read his article “Dispatch from Pennsylvania: How marketing affects swing voters as U.S. election looms” in The Conversation.