A marketing expert explains how microtargeting in political advertising goes beyond demographics. This includes leveraging everything people consume online to find ways to engage with people and influence their voting behavior.
With less than 10 days left until polling day in Gujarat, the political blitzkrieg for the 2024 Sabah elections is in full swing. Political communication has evolved from door-to-door canvassing of voters, television commercials, and radio jingles. Your social media feed may be flooded with political messages. However, these messages are not just random bombardments. If your social media profile identifies you as a young person, if you have recently been job hunting, or if (based on your browsing history) you are in the process of selecting coaching classes for further study. may receive targeted messages such as: Education and employment!
Artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics are permeating various fields, and politics is no exception. In his latest book, Varsha Jain, his AGK Professor of Marketing at Mica University, investigated how political parties around the world are increasingly incorporating new technologies into their election campaigns.
“A recent example of the use of AI in election campaigns is the last US election, where both Democrats and Republicans employed AI to target voters with great success. While demographic factors such as , gender, and location remain important, political analysis is increasingly moving towards political behavioral targeting (PBT), with big brands tracking your internet history to do the same. It’s similar to tailoring an advertisement for a product,” Professor Jain said.
Essentially, keypad clicks override precious EVM clicks. Your likes, comments, and everything else you consume online are used to build your personality profile. This will help political campaign strategists determine the best way to engage with you.
The digital operations room is operated within the party headquarters, but experts also work with local units. Yamal Vyas, chief spokesperson of the BJP Gujarat state, said the party has a dedicated team well-versed in AI and analytics to plan and execute social media campaigns. “Our members are also adept at leveraging various technology platforms,” he added.
Gujarat state Congress spokesperson Hiren Banker said, “The Bharat Pure Land Yatra was a game-changer in connecting with the masses and the youth. With the help of the analysis, key issues have been derived, some of which have been incorporated into the current Parliamentary Manifesto.” One of the big changes was recognizing the popularity of microvideos and increasing user engagement,” he added.
Professor Jain uses AI tools to translate speeches by prominent political leaders in some countries in real-time, allowing for wider reach on platforms like WhatsApp just minutes after a rally ends. It is pointed out that. “In a multilingual country like India, reaching a wider audience can work wonders. Speech by AI avatars develops real-time discourses and narratives that engage the diverse cultures and sub-cultures of the electorate. It is very effective because it connects with culture, which is extremely important for a country like India,” she added.
But she says experts need to promote AI-generated content to prevent misinformation and fake news. This election also saw several AI-generated images of her from supporters of almost every political party.
engage, educate and entertain
Experts believe that the use of cookies on the Internet allows any data-mining organization to build user profiles that include what they view online, their preferences, the places they frequent, their shopping habits, and the timing and duration of their online activity. I explain that it can be done. These data points are utilized by potential advertisers (political parties in this context) to send customized messages to potential voters. So there’s a systematic approach to political blitzkrieg, from understanding what’s trending to increasing engagement online.
A marketing faculty member from Ahmedabad told TOI on condition of anonymity that the Bharatiya Janata Party was among the parties around the world who took inspiration from the highly effective and well-analysed 2008 Obama campaign. . “His role as the face of the prime minister was unprecedented, focusing on very local issues in a hectic gathering,” the teacher explains. “We have also witnessed successful initiatives, from Modi masks and ‘Chai Pe Charcha’ to 3D rallies and social media town halls. ”
In response to the BJP’s ‘Modiki Assurance’, the Congress has proposed ‘Nyay Patra’ for the 2024 LS polls. Professor Jain said the key findings from the study of various campaigns revealed trends such as a shift towards voter-centric approaches and the delivery of personalized messages, adding: The main question is: What is the benefit for voters?” Additionally, users want infotainment. Therefore, you need to be interesting and engaging when conveying your message. To accomplish this, parties employ catchy songs and animations, or capitalize on viral trends. ”
She added that purposeful branding is also a buzzword, and politics is no exception. Political parties should go beyond politics and be seen as connecting with today’s youth and voters. Another factor is her ability to think on the fly and come up with social media posts on trending topics on the fly, whether it’s Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest or Sam Pitroda’s comments on inheritance tax. is.
Ultimately, consistency across platforms is critical, from banners to billboards, TV debates to social media posts. “The message needs to be consistent with the personality of the political leader and the identity of the party,” she argues.
The origins of modern polling campaigns
Canvas activities in India
India’s first few elections were dominated by the Congress. At that time, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s charisma was enough to carry the party through. An old photo shows candidate Nur-ud-din Ahmed promoting a truck carrying a photo of Pandit Nehru with the tagline “Vote for Congress for a stable, secular and progressive nation.” is shown in the photo. The party symbols at that time were a calf and a cow. With the advent of radio and television, the medium was used to convey political messages and the bullock cart movement gradually became obsolete.
US influence
In the early days of American politics, cartoons and newspaper reports were tools for political messaging. One of his souvenirs from Abraham Lincoln’s election campaign is his 1860 song “Honest Old Abe” written by D. Wentworth and composed by A Wide Awake. By the 20th century, poster wars between Democrats and Republicans had become the highlight of political campaigns. In 1910, FD Roosevelt started the trend of street campaigning. To this day, album pins, banners, and collectibles continue to be part of campaign strategies around the world.
symbols are important
The Election Commission of India archives show a man looking for the symbols of candidates during the 1951 elections, when each candidate was voting separately.
obama inspires
Barack Obama’s carefully planned political campaign (which featured posters reading “Hope” and the upbeat rallying cry “Yes We Can”) sent him to the White House in 2008. This was the first major campaign to harness the power of social media and analytics. Supporter location and email address details. Online rallies, personalized messages, and discussions based on local issues gave Obama an edge. This campaign has been widely analyzed and partially copied by politicians around the world.
Dawn of Internet Campaigning
In 2023, advertisers reportedly spent $5.3 billion on political and issue ads on Meta, $1.3 billion on Google, $51 million on Snapchat, and $5 million on Twitter. Online campaigns now account for nearly a quarter of his ad spending. This medium also allows for innovative ways to reach your audience. For example, in 2019, the UK Labor Party offered an online tax calculator that showed how your income would increase if you won an election. In recent years, microformats, interactive games, and even personalized messages have been used by political parties around the world to attract voters.
A timeless slogan
Who can forget the 1971 Congress rallying cry of “Garibi Hatao”? Over the decades, Indian politics has seen many slogans that sum up political ideology in a few words. Sometimes they launched a counterattack by twisting the same slogan. Ahead of the 2004 elections, the “India Shines” campaign by the BJP was widely publicized to instill voters’ confidence in India’s growth story. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party lost the election. A decade later, the party coined the slogan “Ab Ki Baar, Modi Sarkar” and catapulted Gujarat CM Narendra Modi onto the national stage as prime minister.
—With input from Kapil Dave
With less than 10 days left until polling day in Gujarat, the political blitzkrieg for the 2024 Sabah elections is in full swing. Political communication has evolved from door-to-door canvassing of voters, television commercials, and radio jingles. Your social media feed may be flooded with political messages. However, these messages are not just random bombardments. If your social media profile identifies you as a young person, if you have recently been job hunting, or if (based on your browsing history) you are in the process of selecting coaching classes for further study. may receive targeted messages such as: Education and employment!
Artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics are permeating various fields, and politics is no exception. In his latest book, Varsha Jain, his AGK Professor of Marketing at Mica University, investigated how political parties around the world are increasingly incorporating new technologies into their election campaigns.
“A recent example of the use of AI in election campaigns is the last US election, where both Democrats and Republicans employed AI to target voters with great success. While demographic factors such as , gender, and location remain important, political analysis is increasingly moving towards political behavioral targeting (PBT), with big brands tracking your internet history to do the same. It’s similar to tailoring an advertisement for a product,” Professor Jain said.
Essentially, keypad clicks override precious EVM clicks. Your likes, comments, and everything else you consume online are used to build your personality profile. This will help political campaign strategists determine the best way to engage with you.
The digital operations room is operated within the party headquarters, but experts also work with local units. Yamal Vyas, chief spokesperson of the BJP Gujarat state, said the party has a dedicated team well-versed in AI and analytics to plan and execute social media campaigns. “Our members are also adept at leveraging various technology platforms,” he added.
Gujarat state Congress spokesperson Hiren Banker said, “The Bharat Pure Land Yatra was a game-changer in connecting with the masses and the youth. With the help of the analysis, key issues have been derived, some of which have been incorporated into the current Parliamentary Manifesto.” One of the big changes was recognizing the popularity of microvideos and increasing user engagement,” he added.
Professor Jain uses AI tools to translate speeches by prominent political leaders in some countries in real-time, allowing for wider reach on platforms like WhatsApp just minutes after a rally ends. It is pointed out that. “In a multilingual country like India, reaching a wider audience can work wonders. Speech by AI avatars develops real-time discourses and narratives that engage the diverse cultures and sub-cultures of the electorate. It is very effective because it connects with culture, which is extremely important for a country like India,” she added.
Expanding
engage, educate and entertain
Experts believe that the use of cookies on the Internet allows any data-mining organization to build user profiles that include what they view online, their preferences, the places they frequent, their shopping habits, and the timing and duration of their online activity. I explain that it can be done. These data points are utilized by potential advertisers (political parties in this context) to send customized messages to potential voters. So there’s a systematic approach to political blitzkrieg, from understanding what’s trending to increasing engagement online.
A marketing faculty member from Ahmedabad told TOI on condition of anonymity that the Bharatiya Janata Party was among the parties around the world who took inspiration from the highly effective and well-analysed 2008 Obama campaign. . “His role as the face of the prime minister was unprecedented, focusing on very local issues in a hectic gathering,” the teacher explains. “We have also witnessed successful initiatives, from Modi masks and ‘Chai Pe Charcha’ to 3D rallies and social media town halls. ”
In response to the BJP’s ‘Modiki Assurance’, the Congress has proposed ‘Nyay Patra’ for the 2024 LS polls. Professor Jain said the key findings from the study of various campaigns revealed trends such as a shift towards voter-centric approaches and the delivery of personalized messages, adding: The main question is: What is the benefit for voters?” Additionally, users want infotainment. Therefore, you need to be interesting and engaging when conveying your message. To accomplish this, parties employ catchy songs and animations, or capitalize on viral trends. ”
She added that purposeful branding is also a buzzword, and politics is no exception. Political parties should go beyond politics and be seen as connecting with today’s youth and voters. Another factor is her ability to think on the fly and come up with social media posts on trending topics on the fly, whether it’s Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest or Sam Pitroda’s comments on inheritance tax. is.
Ultimately, consistency across platforms is critical, from banners to billboards, TV debates to social media posts. “The message needs to be consistent with the personality of the political leader and the identity of the party,” she argues.
The origins of modern polling campaigns
Canvas activities in India
India’s first few elections were dominated by the Congress. At that time, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s charisma was enough to carry the party through. An old photo shows candidate Nur-ud-din Ahmed promoting a truck carrying a photo of Pandit Nehru with the tagline “Vote for Congress for a stable, secular and progressive nation.” is shown in the photo. The party symbols at that time were a calf and a cow. With the advent of radio and television, the medium was used to convey political messages and the bullock cart movement gradually became obsolete.
US influence
In the early days of American politics, cartoons and newspaper reports were tools for political messaging. One of his souvenirs from Abraham Lincoln’s election campaign is his 1860 song “Honest Old Abe” written by D. Wentworth and composed by A Wide Awake. By the 20th century, poster wars between Democrats and Republicans had become the highlight of political campaigns. In 1910, FD Roosevelt started the trend of street campaigning. To this day, album pins, banners, and collectibles continue to be part of campaign strategies around the world.
symbols are important
The Election Commission of India archives show a man looking for the symbols of candidates during the 1951 elections, when each candidate was voting separately.
obama inspires
Barack Obama’s carefully planned political campaign (which featured posters reading “Hope” and the upbeat rallying cry “Yes We Can”) sent him to the White House in 2008. This was the first major campaign to harness the power of social media and analytics. Supporter location and email address details. Online rallies, personalized messages, and discussions based on local issues gave Obama an edge. This campaign has been widely analyzed and partially copied by politicians around the world.
Dawn of Internet Campaigning
In 2023, advertisers reportedly spent $5.3 billion on political and issue ads on Meta, $1.3 billion on Google, $51 million on Snapchat, and $5 million on Twitter. Online campaigns now account for nearly a quarter of his ad spending. This medium also allows for innovative ways to reach your audience. For example, in 2019, the UK Labor Party offered an online tax calculator that showed how your income would increase if you won an election. In recent years, microformats, interactive games, and even personalized messages have been used by political parties around the world to attract voters.
A timeless slogan
Who can forget the 1971 Congress rallying cry of “Garibi Hatao”? Over the decades, Indian politics has seen many slogans that sum up political ideology in a few words. Sometimes they launched a counterattack by twisting the same slogan. Ahead of the 2004 elections, the “India Shines” campaign by the BJP was widely publicized to instill voters’ confidence in India’s growth story. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party lost the election. A decade later, the party coined the slogan “Ab Ki Baar, Modi Sarkar” and catapulted Gujarat CM Narendra Modi onto the national stage as prime minister.
—With input from Kapil Dave
