Over 900,000,000 people will vote over the course of approximately 7 weeks. The unprecedented election process was preceded by months, or even weeks of advertising, campaigning and whataboutisms. There are a lot of ads.
According to exchange4media’s report, Google, which is responsible for much of the digital life we lead, has raked up Rs 135 crore in political advertising since January of this year. While the majority of the expenditures are attributed to the incumbent BJP party, it’s worth noting that the INC has displaced the BJP as the country’s second largest spender. Regional parties use money to reach the people in their own language and to win votes.
Santosh R is the Co-founder of Elever and CMO. He says that political ads work better when they are in a language other than English, such as Hindi. The reason is that the stakes in political advertising are higher and more personal than when buying tea or soap. The language in which people will most likely relate to you is the one that they use in their everyday lives, not one they speak.
Abhishek upadhya, VP of Digital Innovation & Strategy at Hiveminds notes that the advertising and political communication for elections in regional language is not a new phenomenon. From the days of print and TV ads during past elections, to the rapidly expanding digital political landscape of the last decade, the primary focus of political communication was on what voters spoke and understood and where they consumed content. The ad is a native regional language, on a platform that has regional content. Around 10% of Indians regularly speak English (TOI report, ASER report), and 43% of rural Indian children aged 14-18 can read and comprehend English.”
The future electorate is this group. Many political communications are aimed at people between the ages of 17-30, as they tend to be the first time voters. They also represent the Indian demographic of those who are aspiring. Regional language is therefore essential for showing grassroots connections, understanding local and regional concerns, and building a personal connection with voters.
Prashant Puri is the Co-Founder and CEO of AdLift a global digital agency. He says that in recent years internet browsers have been able to understand how important it was to introduce vernacular. They have realized the importance of using vernacular in order to expand their audience across different regions. Today, approximately 40-50 percent of marketing budgets are allocated to regional content and marketing. “Today, companies allocate approximately 40-50 per cent of their total marketing budgets to regional content and marketing. It is to meet the specific language preferences of people in their area and to help build confidence and interest for a campaign.” he said.
All the regions of our country are unique in some way. Political campaigns should be tailored to the needs and gaps of each region. It will help them feel a connection to the local community and give a feeling of belonging,” says Puri.
According to the BJP, a majority of people in the country are likely to be influenced by the party’s campaigning effectiveness. Santosh says that many regional parties are stronger in their regions than at the national level. The spending reflects this.
Around 74% of consumers who consume digital news prefer video. Video ads for political campaigns are a great way to grab attention, create brand awareness and increase recall.
The use of rich media in ads, interactive polls and audio ads stood out as being innovative. Upadhya notes that regional language content pages and influencers on social networks have been used in order to enhance and surround narratives.
Political or not, advertising must meet two requirements to make it memorable. “It should reflect some truth that is felt by everyone, and be well expressed.” Santosh notes that most of the political ads he recalls seem to be centered around criticizing another party. This may work if one already has a particular view, but it won’t bring in new supporters.
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