With the European Elections results fresh in politician’s minds, political parties are slowly beginning to ramp up their marketing activity ahead of next year’s General Election. Labour leader Ed Miliband, for example, has already enlisted Obama’s strategic advisor as part of his team, demonstrating the importance of developing a strong campaign in the months leading up to polling day.
The world of political marketing campaigns is one that has undergone significant changes in recent years. Political marketing and advertising campaigns have gradually evolved from billboard and leafleting campaigns to the point where major political parties are beginning to explore more modern mediums like social media and mobile.
The question is, how long can parties afford to ignore the power that these new and innovative ways of spreading their message can offer before they embrace them fully? When the last General Election took place in 2010, social media was still relatively immature and the reign of smartphones was still in its infancy. With mobile advertising set to overtake print in the next year, the 2015 General Election could be a significant barometer when it comes to measuring the success of political parties when it comes to marketing themselves to a new generation of younger voters by more modern means.
In the most recent election campaigns, we've already seen the web becoming an increasingly important channel for reaching out to voters. One of the reasons for this is that it complements traditional advertising in the way it can target impact on specific demographics. As a result, and as an increasingly large portion of voters move to smartphones and tablets, the mobile advertising trend continues to open new opportunities for political marketing.
There are a number of reasons why this is the case. Mobile devices can enable political campaigns to hone in on target groups in interesting and engaging ways, through geographical and demographical targeting. Family-orientated soundbites, for example, can easily be directed to the parents of young children, while messages about care for the elderly and pensions target seniors. In a mobile campaign, it’s easy to geographically demarcate a campaign so that it can be run in regions in which it yields the best effects.
It’s also possible to funnel a campaign to key points such as party leader debates or days when voting cards are distributed. Targeting is key in reaching the desired audience and in a new and exciting way — think Clinton and “Rock the VOTE”. Targeting can help bring younger groups to the polls, which as a group, are traditionally less engaged when it comes to politics and voting.
Clinton not only adapted his campaign to engage with his chosen audience through relevant channels, but managed to do so in a non-traditional manner – and it worked! All too often, politicians have been focused on traditional media relations. Gone are the days of kissing babies’ heads. The focus now is on engaging a new audience of voters. This is achieved through the use of targeted mobile campaigns, which reach out to a new generation of voters. Research conducted earlier this year by You Gov showed that 81% of 13-18 year-old phone owners own smartphones, highlighting the potential opportunity available
Mobile advertising is also, let’s not forget, more than just a one-way communication broadcast. Done correctly, it can evolve into more than simply sharing a message; it’s also a chance to entertain, explore the senses – and get feedback from the audience. For example, voice ads give politicians the power to demonstrate their creative flair and reach their voters in a more interactive way. Voice ads can be used to get campaign propaganda out. For example, a visual advert with voice questions: what do you think of X party? Or, do you want to hear the X campaign speech? Innovative ad formats create a dialogue, which in turn, drives engagement.
The countdown is now on for political campaigners to build a successful and winning campaign ahead of the elections in May 2015. The question is who will take on the power of mobile advertising and ensure that the right people hear their message at the right time and in the right place?
By Joy Dean, head of partnerships at Widespace.
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