As the political landscape heats up during election season, there is a significant surge in political advertisements both online and on traditional media platforms. Budgets are skyrocketing, reflecting a consistent 35 percent-40 percent growth. The current election like every other time is more expensive than the previous ones. However, what is truly changing like never before is the marketing strategy, messaging, and communication tools employed.
What initially started on platforms like Twitter(now X) and Facebook has now expanded, with influencers playing a crucial role. There is also what communication and political experts are calling ‘FOMO marketing’.
How FOMO marketing dominates political campaigns
The ruling party is leading the show when it comes to marketing initiatives for the Lok Sabha elections this year.
“In the 2014 election, the ruling party engaged in a vigorous social media battle. Subsequently, their approach evolved to prioritise inclusivity. Now, in their third campaign, they’ve adopted a FOMO Marketing strategy, where the fear of missing out drives participation in major events,” said Anup Sharma, an independent communications consultant, who has been involved in the political campaign planning for more than a decade and currently working closely with few senior political leaders on key messaging and outreach strategy.
According to Sharma, the proliferation of flags and creating structures and choosing themes of Ram Mandir as part of festivities has become ubiquitous, extending even to events like the Chandrayaan launch and G20 summit.
“Everybody wants to be a part of these events these days in their own little way. The integration of these events, including Ram Mandir and the G20, into their campaign for the 2023 Lok Sabha elections highlights the thoroughness of their long-term marketing strategy, minimising the need for last-minute efforts,” said Sharma.
The 2024 elections will be the third wave of digital elections in India. Moving from 2014 when Indian voters had the first ‘social media’ election, to 2019 which had more than 15 million digitally active Gen Z voters expressing their first voting rights.
“In the 2024 elections are no more just about having digital presence. The key for winning an election is having a strong narrative and the outreach plan to help build perception,” Sharma added.
Digital to see major budget boost
In their recently released report on ad spends GroupM India said 2024 will also see an upside from the spends leading to the general elections. Digital particularly retail media and digital extensions of TV are expected to drive the growth.
Experts foresee a 30percent-40 percent growth in digital AdEx in the 2024 elections.
As per Google Transparency Reports, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has spent Rs27.6 crore on Google Ads in the last one month. On the other hadn’t according to Meta Ad Library’s latest numbers, between February 2,2024 and March 2, 2024 BJP has spent Rs5.63 core on 329 ads about social issues, elections or politics.
These however are just disclosed spends. There is also significant amount of unaccounted spending, encompassing collaborations, influencer content creation, and various partnerships, often characterised by subtle messaging strategies.
Disclosed spending on digital also show a steep growth when compared to the 2019 general elections. Between February 2019 and May 2019, Google and Facebook reported a combined political ad expenditure of approximately Rs 58 crore. Google disclosed 12,276 political ads amounting to Rs. 29.3 crore in four months, while Facebook’s India Ad Library declared a total of 132,419 ads valued at Rs 29.28 crore.
Leveraging state budgets and unused inventory
As per experts, the ruling party is leveraging their majority in states. The Modi government is efficiently utilising state budgets, repurposing under utilized assets such as petrol pumps.
“Petrol pumps were never utilised like the way they are now. Just like airports people are bound to use petrol pumps without the distraction of mobile phones. Almost every petrol pump now has a state run ad on their OOH (out of home inventory),” said another expert.
Use of traditional media
High reach mediums will be considered for content amplification like TV and print alongside digital will be considered for sharper targeting.
“These mediums will be used to circulate content, which is relevant to voters. That means it should address the concerns, needs and priorities of the electorate. Parties will also ensure that content represents and addresses the concerns of a diverse range of communities. Inclusivity helps connect with a broader audience. Representation matters, both in terms of the issues discussed and the individuals involved in the campaign,” said Deleise Ross, senior VP and business head, MudraMax.
Estimates for instance on OOH suggest that the medium will see 11 percent-12 percent growth this year fulled by election spends of about Rs400 crore.
The grand inauguration of the Ram Mandir temple in Ayodhya has become a turning point for Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising. The sudden growth in demand pushed OOH rates up by a staggering 150 percent in the lead-up to the event. This surge has experts predicting a massive 15 to 17-fold increase in OOH spending across India moving forward.
“The versatility of an LED van as a moving platform allows it to connect emotionally with people at public places, making it a preferred choice. DOOH is increasingly being used for propagating public messages for institutions such as the Election Commission to raise awareness about voting rights, importance of voting in an election or voter registration process,”said Rajesh Radhakrishnan, co-founder and chief marketing officer, Vritti iMedia.
Volunteer system
While influencers are subtly pushing political agenda by interviewing party leaders and creating relatable content to broaden the party’s reach, there is another parallel influencing system on a micro level and WhatsApp is a major tool in this arrangement.
“WhatsApp networks are highly effective for local penetration due to their cost-effectiveness and ease of operation at district and constituency levels. Parties designate points of contact (POCs) to circulate narratives on WhatsApp groups continuously,” said Purnendu Chakraborty, director at political consulting agency PolTek.
Chakraborty also mentioned another unique volunteer system, comprising both digital and on-ground volunteers who work on a paid daily basis, running a parallel ecosystem to the party.
“These volunteers engage in tasks such as daily social media posts, WhatsApp messaging, and voter outreach, with payouts based on the assigned tasks, like posting or holding meetings. The grama volunteer system initiated by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy serves as a prime example of this approach,” he said.
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