Özet:

This study examines the professionalization process of election campaigns. The symptoms of new election campaigns include prominence of candidates rather than political parties in campaigns, increasing role of communication experts in the election campaign communication, transfer of marketing techniques in the commercial area to the political area and appreciation of candidate image due to the replacement of face-to-face communication by media communication. In Turkey, political parties began to work with agencies, use TV commercials and utilize public opinion polls after the 1980s. The 2000s are the years in which new campaign techniques have been adopted, budgets have increased, leader image has taken precedence over parties and their ideologies, agencies have increased and the internet has gained importance in political communication in Turkey. The subject of this research is the analysis of election campaigns carried out by JDP and RPP during the 2011 General Parliamentary Elections in Turkey. Both political parties took advantage of developing communication technologies, public opinion polls, political advertisements and professionals during the elections. The election campaigns were primarily grounded on political party leaders as individuals rather than parties as corporations using TV films, posters and newspaper advertisements.    

Anahtar Kelimeler: