Utilizing social media to engage Hawaiʻi citizens: how the 2010 Hawaiʻi mayoral and gubernatorial candidates utilized social media during the primary elections

Abstract

Candidates for political office are increasingly using social media tools and technologies to communicate with constituents, citizens, and various publics. Such use has been examined at the national level in the U.S. with the presidential campaigns of Howard Dean and, more notably, Barack Obama, who was often referred to as one of the most technologically-savvy candidate's running for political office. This communication phenomenon has not been well studied at the local level in Hawaii, however. The contentious 2010 primary election for governor of Hawaii and mayor of the City and County of Honolulu presented an opportunity to conduct an exploratory study of the front-running candidates' use of social media. Using a combination of website content analysis and semi-structured interviews with the campaigns' social media advisors, the researcher found and documented how social media was being used by the 2010 front running primary election candidates for mayor and governor in Hawaii and the thinking behind some of their political communication strategies. Accessibility, transparency and engagement through these social media communication tools were a common strategy for a political campaign. Findings reveal that the front running gubernatorial and mayoral candidates used a variety of social media strategies to connect with their publics. While there were similarities in their use of social media, some of the differences lead to an interesting analysis of motivations and impressions. This study discusses these emerging trends in social media campaigning and provides a foundation for future research.