Impact of candidate’s leadership image to trust

Abstract

In recent years, Indonesia has undergone transformation on its leadership trend. This is due to the rapid rise of political newcomers who managed to secure prominent positions in Indonesian government. The most phenomenal achievement was the win of Jokowi in the 2014 presidential election. Jokowi barely has an experience as a politician compared to his rivals. These newcomers were known to possess strong reputation as leaders who have made breakthroughs and success in acting as the servant of the people. Based on the case of Ahok, Risma, Jokowi and SBY, this paper attempts to measure impact of the political brand image of a servant leader and a reformist along with brand personalities to political brand trust from Indonesian voters’ perspective, The findings reveal candidate’s leadership characters and personalities that appeal to Indonesian voters, including that Risma has similar traits with Jokowi, whilst Ahok has his own uniqueness.