Análisis del lenguaje utilizado en la campaña electoral de las seccionales de febrero del 2023 y su influencia en el electorado universitario. El caso de los candidatos a alcaldes de la ciudad de Cuenca

Language plays a crucial role in the studies of political communication and political marketing. It is employed with the purpose of persuading voters and establishing meaningful connections to garner electoral support. This research aims to analyze and determine the language used in the February 2023 sectional electoral campaign by the four most voted mayoral candidates in Cuenca: Adrián Castro, Paúl Carrasco, Pedro Palacios, and Cristian Zamora. The study also investigates its influence on the perception of the university electorate. Firstly, the research characterized the type of language (tone and connotaion) used by each candidate based on the content shared in January 2023 during the electoral campaign and through interviews with communication experts. Secondly, through a survey, the study explored the influence of the language used on the perceptions of trust, credibility, and suitability among the university electorate in the city of Cuenca. The results reveal that each candidate opted for a distinct style of language, and this was perceived variably by the university electorate. Furthermore, they indicate that the type of language used has a significant impact on the perception of trust, credibility, and suitability of the candidates, according to the respondents' opinions.