Research: Tories 'hampered by campaign materials'

Hull University Business School PhD student Christopher Pich interviewed 35 Tory MPs, Euro-MPs and candidates and concluded there was a "distinct lack of clarity" over how to present the party to the public.

In focus groups carried out by the university, voters aged 18 to 24 said they did not understand what the Tory logo – a tree – stood for because they could not see a link between it and the party.

Mr Pich also warned that by using different logos and colours to the official party branding, some candidates were committing an "unthinkable mistake" when looking to create a strong brand.

"Although David Cameron has been positioned as the young, environmentally friendly face of the Conservative party, bringing progressive, radical policies but maintaining traditional Conservative values, this repositioning is difficult when there is a very strong residual image of the Conservatives as the 'nasty party'," he said.

He added: "It may sound like a small issue, but there are some constituencies that use different logos to the main party, even using something other than the colour blue that is fundamental to the Conservatives – which is an unthinkable mistake to a professional looking to build a strong brand."

An expert in political marketing who is supervising his research, Dr Dianne Dean, said: "There is research to show that in a successful political campaign, voters are reassured about a unified political party communicating a coherent brand message, while it appears that they punish those they perceive to be disunited."