I just came across this great blog by Alex White on the three types of voters: utilitarian/instrumental, swinging and expressive. His diagrammatic expressions of them are superb. Most enlightening.
His first diagram above shows three consumer types of engagement with a brand: utilitarian, low involvement and expressive.
- Utilitarian decision making is one that is typically high involvement, but are partly price sensitive;
- Low involvement buyers do not spend a lot of time researching the features of the product or service, beyond a cursory glance; and
- Expressive consumers are ones who make in depth purchases where there is a high engagement. Their decision to purchase precedes research. The research itself serves to rationalise the purchase decision. Often, they will feel a relationship with the brand and identify with the brand’s values.
White then overlaps these brand engagement profiles on voter profiles in the next diagram made up of utilitarian/instrumental, swinging and expressive and then fleshes out these voter types depending on whether they are rusted or swinging.
- The rusted-on utilitarian voter votes on a specific issue and are loyal to the party that represents the best fit with that issue. For example, the Greens and forestry, or Labor and education. So long as they view the party as best fitting or addressing their issue, they’ll vote for that party.
- A swinging utilitarian voter listens to announcements during campaigns, and tries to make a decision based on what is best for them. These swinging voters are susceptible to the pork barrel promises. Utilitarian voters are sensitive to their expectations being met.
- The swinging low engagement voter has no party familiarity, no interest in politics, and do not do any assessment of party policies; they make up their mind based on availability of the party on Election Day (so the presence of people handing out how-to-votes is important). They see no difference between parties; they are completely switchable, so there is no brand loyalty. A low involvement voter is really looking at the absence of negatives.
- The rusted on expressive voter votes to convey their values or beliefs, and often strongly identify with the party, or with a party leader. They are partisans who seek out research or information to justify their support for that party. The have a strong emotional connection to the party, or they may be ideologues and identify with a political philosophy rather than the party.
- The swinging expressive voter is an ideologue whose voting decision is based on their political ideology. For example, strong environmentalists who support the Greens Party because of their commitment to conservation rather than to the Party itself. The swinging expressive voter may change their vote if they feel a party ceases to represent their value set or beliefs. The expressive voter expectations align with their values or ideology. Their relationship to the party can be very committed, but also very critical. They may tolerate or forgive lapses on policy areas outside the voter’s core values — and they can be passionate advocates.
Alex White has set out a great topology of voters, and how a political party or lobby group should appeal to different types of voters based on their engagement and information needs. White is secretary of UnionsACT, the peak body for 33 unionists Unions in Canberra.
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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