The digital space in India has been enormously developing over the years and as a result the digital advertising industry had witnessed a peak of 15.3 percent growth rate in 2020. The Digital medium caters to over 500 million Indian users and is considered one of the most predominant platforms to be utilised by brands for their promotional content. However, for the past five-six years the digital ecosystem also posess a holistic importance for the political parties in the Country. The political parties apart from using traditional advertising mediums has now shifted to the digital space.
Ever since 2013, India is undergoing a ‘global period’ in the sphere of digital marketing. Endorsing and re-targeting audiences through digital space is now considered to be a pivot characteristic for promoting brands and services. An average Indian spends 4-5 hours on digital space including social media and emails. The acceleration of ‘Digital India’ initiative by the Narendra Modi led Central government has not only increased online shoppers by 100-110 million but, diced a revolutionary shift-in-change of political advertising narrative.
The increasing social media advertisements has generated greater penetration for political campaigns to lure the targeted voters section. According to independent studies, in 2019, overall online ads stood to ₹160 billion, including paid search 23 percent and online video ads 22 percent. Statistics determine that mobile ad penetration is voluminous as compared to desktop advertising due to profound social media users, counting to 326 million.
The shift of advertising medium among political parties in the digital forum does play a tremendous persuasive appeal among voters. The ad film campaigns, either for government welfare programmes or in favour of party’s interest does indulge a hefty chunck of online traffics. Noteworthy social media platforms; YouTube, Facebook and Instagram helps to reinforce the exposure of political parties amidst expanding target groups with affordable spending expenditures.
The vault of highlighting the public welfare programmes prior to the election prone areas has become a new alternative among the national and regional parties in India. In 2014 and 2019 Assembly Elections, the saffron brigade along with other national parties including the Congress had expanded strong advertising record in order to tempt public confidence.
With 30 percent smart phone penetration in India, combining both rural and urban has pushed social media advertising upto 28 percent. The extensive influx of social media assists the political parties to de-classify the targeted voters and refurbish the promotional content in order to maintain a upstream uniformity. Using the advance mechanism of advertising on social media, political parties have restyled, revamped and revolutionised the efficacious of democratic promotion.
Rituparna Dutta