Elections 2024: Politicians hungry for Gen Z attention use memes, reels and influencers

Several popular YouTubers have received offers of substantial sums by many politicians, often in the millions of rupees, to conduct interviews, particularly in the months leading up to the election, writes Yasin Hamidani, Director, Media Care Brand Solutions.

Political messaging is increasingly incorporating memes, trending reels, and pop culture references. This departure from traditional mudslinging tactics reflects a strategic pivot to engage younger voters and Gen Z.

Explained: How political parties’ media buying mirrors, and diverges from FMCG brands

Political parties and brands share some surprising similarities in marketing, but there are also key differences (Image source: Moneycontrol)

Both political parties and brands are vying for the attention of the same group – the voter/consumer. The end goal is also the same. However, there are some key differences when it comes to media planning and buying. Find out what they are.

General elections: Mandatory identity verification for advertisers on Google

The tech giant has encountered similar issues with its AI-powered products previously as well. It had to halt its chatbot Gemini in February after it received backlash for its "woke" remarks. (Representative Image: Brett Jordan via Unsplash)

Google has been equipping people across the country with ways to better evaluate information online through ongoing initiatives such as FactShala, Sach Ke Saathi and YouTube’s Hit Pause.

Google collaborates with Election Commission to enable voters to discover critical voting information

Despite YouTube's policies requiring users under 17 to seek parental consent and linking accounts for those under 13 to a parental account, the lawsuit points out that it remains easy for minors to bypass these restrictions.

Google has information panels that indicate funding sources from publishers that receive public or government funding, and information panels giving topical context for topics prone to misinformation.