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The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are witnessing a technological leap with AI(artificial intelligence) integration. Political parties and candidates are working with Indian tech agencies from across the country that are enabling them to use AI to offer personalised voter engagement and optimised media tactics. Estimates suggest a significant investment of close to Rs100 crore in AI for this election cycle.



<strong>How is AI being used by parties?</strong>


The application of AI is multifaceted when it comes to political campaigns. Some of its applications are readily observable while others operate more discreetly. There are three main avenues through which politicians and political parties are leveraging AI today in their campaigns.


Venugopal Ganganna, CEO, Langoor (LS Digital Group Company) explained how AI works for political parties and their candidates. 


“Firstly, AI serves as a powerful Research tool for comprehending the behaviour, concerns, and sentiments of the electorate. What once began as simple social listening exercises during the 2019 elections has evolved into sophisticated data-driven analyses of people's attitudes and inclinations,” Ganganna said.


For instance, AI now enables parties to discern the nuanced opinions of individuals in various regions, such as understanding how residents in Hubli perceive a particular political party or how those in Wayanad views a specific political candidate. 


“This deeper understanding of voter behaviour, facilitated by AI-powered data science, has become instrumental in shaping campaign strategies and messaging. Despite operating largely behind the scenes, this aspect of AI usage represents a significant investment by political entities, often involving large-scale data analysis across hundreds of locations,” he added.

 

There of course there is Generative AI that facilitates the personalisation of political communication and messaging. Through advanced algorithms, parties can tailor their outreach efforts to individual voters, addressing them by name, communicating in their preferred language, and delivering customized content, including videos and messages. 


“With insights gathered through research, the political parties are optimising GenAI using various AI tools to create hyper personalised campaigns and hyper personalised narratives in focus areas in each region. Further usage of AR, VR, Immersive XR is enabling these hyper personalised communications,” said Ganganna.

 

Lastly, AI is playing a crucial role in optimising media strategies for the overall campaign; media strategy planning and optimisation is becoming more efficient and effective. 


“More importantly, predictable AI is helping to predict engagement and reach.As per our estimates close to anywhere between Rs. 80 crore- Rs. 100 crore has been spent on AI this elections,” he added.


According to numbers collected from agencies, digital avatar generation costs anywhere between Rs1- Rs2 lakh, voice cloning costs close to a lakh and a compact deal that includes content creation to dissemination to an audience size of about 4 lakh people costs anywhere between Rs 32lakh and Rs 47 lakh. 

 

<strong>The agencies behind the AI work</strong>


A host of Indian tech start ups with AI offerings are working with political parties across the board. While some are helping in the Generative AI piece some offer the entire package of services starting from research to content creation to dissemination. Some of the agencies that have been actively working with political parties and candidates are Avantari Technologies,Polymath Solution- The Indian Deepfaker, Mogi IO, Muonium and others. Most of these agencies have long been using AI to aid political communications across board



Hyderabad based AI content agency Avantari Technologies for instance has been doing this for years.


“We work for parties on a campaign level. We come in at the campaign planning stage and work with the party with a usually innovative idea,” said CEO Bhairav Shankar.


In the past Avanatari has worked with the BJP for the Gujarat 2012 elections where they introduced the hologram, the BMC elections in 2016, where they introduced life-size augmented reality, then in the 2017 where they used poster based augmented reality for Karnataka elections where they worked with the Congress party. In 2019  Avantari Technologies worked with the BJD in Orissa with a door to door AR campaign and the most recent one was the Punjab elections where they worked with the AAP.





<strong>Drawing the line between ethical and unethical use of AI</strong>


“We believe that artificial intelligence, the line is where we manipulate facts. We believe that the technology is useful for dissemination of information and allowing the information to be more personalised and have a better impact on the vote. However, we do not condone it when the same information is misused by the technology. To us, success is about innovative usage of technology, rather than the unethical shortcut which spoils the field for everyone,” Shankar said.



For Divyendra Singh Jadoun, founder Polymath Solution- The Indian Deepfaker, the line between ethical and unethical use of AI is often blurred. 


According to Jadoun, transparency is  key.


“All AI-generated content, whether in videos, images, is  watermarked. Additionally in the conversational AI agent where people get calls from candidates, the agent clearly state twice that it is AI-powered,”


However sometimes it is not enough. 


“Even with all the disclaimers, we recognise that not everyone is familiar with AI. Disclaimers alone might not be enough. Not everyone knows what to make of a ‘AI generated’ tag in a video,” Jadoun said. 


Jadoun’s agency doesn’t just partner with political parties to connect with voters, but also to facilitate internal communication with party workers through personalised messages.

The agency is bound by NDA and couldn’t disclose details on specific candidates who've used the agency's services. However, his clientele includes not only those actively campaigning, but also those like Congress' Shakti Pratap Singh Rathore from Ajmer. In this case, the agency is assisting Rathore, a senior party member, to spread awareness messages and encourage voter turnout.


 


 



LS Elections 2024: Rs 100 crore invested in AI integration in political campaigns

BluSmart has launched its #SmartCitizen campaign to encourage Indian citizens to exercise their democratic right to vote on election day. This initiative aims to generate awareness, empower and mobilise the voters in Delhi, Gurgaon and Bengaluru to participate actively and responsibly in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

"Every vote counts, and every citizen can make a smart choice  to contribute to the democratic process. As a partner in driving India’s growth, our #SmartCitizen campaign is a call to action for all citizens to exercise their right to vote and be active participants in shaping a smarter future for our nation. The campaign reflects BluSmart’s values as forward-thinkers, fostering a sense of responsibility among citizens and empowering them with seamless access to the polling stations." said Anirudh Arun, Co-founder & CEO, BluSmart Fleet.

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C57rFHKS2cU/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C57rFHKS2cU/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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A month-long election awareness campaign will be executed through online and offline channels such as communication inside BluSmart EVs, in-app notifications, emailers and social media. The  #SmartCitizen campaign will further educate users on the significance of voting and how one vote can make a difference. Moreover, the incorporation of a voting badge by BluSmart for riders  who participate in elections will incentivise civic engagement and foster a sense of accomplishment.

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border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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On polling dates in Bengaluru - 26th April and in Delhi NCR - 25th May, BluSmart will offer discounted rides to its customers, enabling eligible citizens to cast their vote including the youth of India and the first-time voters to exercise their fundamental right to vote conveniently and on time.




BluSmart launches #SmartCitizen campaign for 2024 elections

As India gears up for the 2024 general election, Spotify is collaborating with the Election Commission of India through a non-partisan campaign, ‘Play Your Part’. The initiative encourages eligible voters, especially the youth, to play their part by going out to vote.

“Partnership and collaboration are essential pillars of our voter awareness program at the Election Commission of India. I strongly believe that fostering informed and ethical electoral participation is a shared responsibility among all stakeholders in our democracy. It's really good to see Spotify, which holds significant influence among the youth, utilizing innovative music programming to create engaging voter awareness campaigns for the broader electorate”, said Santosh Ajmera, IIS Director, SVEEP Election Commission of India.

‘Play Your Part’ emphasizes that the power of the collective is realized when everyone comes together and plays their part by voting. This message has been communicated through a visual of the voters' marked finger, a unique feature of Indian elections, integrated with Spotify's scan code. Through in-app messaging, and by leveraging artist fandom that is unique to music and Spotify, the campaign intends to reach millions of listeners on the platform.

Through a specially curated on-platform hub featuring playlists to soundtrack the voting process, Spotify hopes to inspire eligible youth in India to cast their vote in the upcoming general elections.

●	Our Voter’s Hub: The ‘Play Your Part’ hub gives listeners a number of destinations to choose from.
○	Soundtrack Your Vote: As citizens head to the polls, two playlists will accompany them. The first, called Play Your Part India, features the best of motivational songs across languages to encourage the youth to go and vote; the second, called Thank You For Voting, includes a mix of patriotic and fun dance tracks to celebrate with them after they play their part. 
○	Playlists Providing Inspiration: In the hub, listeners will also find playlists to celebrate the election season.
●	On-Platform Voter Messaging: Listeners will be encouraged to exercise their right and cast their votes through on-platform communication, leading them to the Election Commission of India website to find polling locations applicable to them, and more.

Spotify will also tap into other off-platform mediums, including out of home and print media, to reach a wider audience for this initiative.



Spotify encourages eligible Indian citizens to vote in 2024 general election via 'Play Your Part'

IPL is one of the biggest reach accumulators in Asia with 5X entry cost over any other top reality show in the country and on the back of IPL, AdEx is expected to witness a rise of 6 percent to 8 percent over corresponding year’s same month/quarter. General election will add another 3 percent to 4 percent increment to the same. 

In conversation with Storyboard18, Uday Mohan, Managing Director, Havas Media India talks about the genres of programming that are performing best in terms of ad viewership during the IPL and election season, the specific goals that brands are looking to achieve with their advertising campaigns during this period of heightened viewership and more.

Edited excerpts:


<strong>What is the kind of increase in ad spend that you are noticing this April due to the combined impact of IPL and elections?  </strong>



April being the first month of the new FY, fresh budgets allow the brands to plan new launches and new ad films in the market. To couple with IPL is one of the biggest reach accumulators in Asia with 5x entry cost over any other top reality show in the country. On the back of IPL, AdEx is expected to witness a rise of 6 percent to 8 percent over corresponding year’s same month/quarter. General election will add another 3 percent to 4 percent increment to the same.


<strong>What are the top ad spending categories experiencing the biggest surge in AdeX due to the combined effect of IPL and the upcoming elections? </strong>

Some of the top ad spending categories include fantasy gaming, auto, beverages, FMCG, and banking and construction.



<strong>What are the specific goals that brands are looking to achieve with their advertising campaigns during this period of heightened viewership? </strong>



Quarter 1 being a fresh start for setting new goals and April being the first month, brands push and set the tempo for the balance of the year. Also, firms want to achieve their sales results to keep the financial results positive in Q1 to have an optimistic outlook in Return on Yield (RoY).

Secondly, with the sports reach of around 800 million in India, no other event or genre offers such high reach in the country and that too in the quarter 1 of financial year. This aids the advertisers to plan new launches & fresh announcements to reach out to maximum consumers and communicate effectively and instantly.



<strong>Can you tell us which genres of programming are performing best in terms of ad viewership during the IPL and election season? </strong>

As we know, election is on the cards. News genre will have exponential growth in viewership. There is a healthy mix of viewership in the country with Hindi language at 31 percent & regional language at 36 percent in terms of news viewership. This is other than 450 million reach through digital news platforms. Election will be a big driver in Q1, and other genres will also have a positive impact in their AdEx. There is a main budget session also expected after general elections which will have significant news importance. 

<strong>How significant is the ad rate growth compared to usual periods considering both IPL and election? </strong>

Election rates are purely demand and supply driven, and in this case the rates are close to 30 percent higher compared to the last Lok Sabha Election. This has happened on the back of newer programming and technology adoption to deliver the brand messaging very effectively. 

As for IPL, the league's consistent viewership has boosted cost and reach delivery proportionately.

<strong>Besides IPL and elections, are there any other upcoming events or trends that you anticipate will impact media buying strategies?</strong>

June to December will be an action packed year in television within sports and entertainment shows. To specify, immediately after IPL, 125 + days of India playing International cricket which includes T20 World Cup, Asia Cup, 6+ bilateral series and other sporting events like Euro Cup and Grand Slam.  As far as entertainment tentpole shows on TV, properties like KBC, Katron Ke Khiladi, IIFA awards, Filmfare, Jhalak Dikhla Ja, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, India’s Got Talent, Bigg Boss, Rishtey Award and World TV will keep up the momentum.

EXCLUSIVE: Elections will drive exponential growth in news viewership: Havas Media's Uday Mohan


With a little over a week remaining until the Lok Sabha polls kick off, political parties are intensifying their digital advertising efforts to gain a last-mile advantage. Last-minute spends on digital platforms are soaring into crores as parties gear up for the seven-phase elections starting on April 19.



In the last week alone, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress together spent close to Rs 8 crore on Google and Meta ads.




<strong>Political ad spends on Google</strong>



As per Google’s Ad Transparency Center, the BJP and the Indian National Congress lead in spending, with Rs8.36 crore and Rs7.6 crore respectively, over the past month on political ads.



The top three spenders on Google Ads also include. Popular Empowerment Network Private Limited, a sociopolitical research organisation, spent Rs Rs7.66 crore. Ads from this organisation, particularly those related to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's campaign, accounted for over Rs30 lakh between April 2 and April 9.



Overall, in the last 30 days (March 11 to April 9), Google Ads Transparency data shows a total spending of Rs41.46 crore on 74,765 political ads. Back in 2019, the spends on political ads on Google around the same time amounted to Rs 8.47 crore.






<strong>Spends on Meta</strong>



Turning to Meta, while the BJP has historically dominated ad spends across platforms, other parties are now stepping up their efforts. In the past month, between March 8 and April 6, 2024, the Indian National Congress spent Rs1.47 crore on 276 ads related to social issues, elections, or politics on Meta ads. Conversely, the BJP allocated Rs8.45 lakh for 6,681 ads on the Meta platform during the same period. Despite the Indian National Congress leading in spending on Meta ads, the BJP ranked fourth.


Interestingly, certain affiliate pages on Meta have outspent the BJP.




<strong>Affiliate pages spending on Meta</strong>


One prominent example is MyGovIndia, a citizen engagement platform launched by the government in 2014. MyGovIndia spent Rs1.42 crore on 67 Meta ads, focusing heavily on national creator award videos and clips. Similarly, MemeXpress emerged as the third highest spender on Meta, allocating Rs1.10 crore for 291 ads in the last 30 days. These pages often run paid promotions with messages like "BJP will rise in Tamil Nadu and DMK will decline" or slogans such as "Entire AAP is corrupted in this time, electricity won’t be free.”



<strong>Why digital matters</strong>


Political parties and candidates are heavily using social media to attract the GenZ voters. From memes to influencers, parties are leaving no stone unturned. 



As Unny Radhakrishnan, CEO, Digitas India pointed out previously, political parties are using all potential opportunities within the digital and content ecosystem.



“Influencers and video content will be key during the 2024 general elections. Multiple content snippets and narratives will be created and distributed through various social channels,”he had said.



“In many parts of the country, there are YouTube channels focused on select geographies or audiences, which will also play an important role,” he added.



“Despite information overload and digital natives spend hours online, engaging with creators and influencers who can influence culture and politics.These influencers offer a direct and personalised connection, bypassing traditional media gatekeepers. These trends push parties to spend on social platforms through not just ads but also collaborations and partnerships,”said a political strategist who did not wish to be named.



Election countdown: BJP and Congress splurge crores on Google and Meta ads ahead of Lok Sabha polls

It is raining ad campaigns and Bharatiya Janata Party has added a new one to its poll arsenal. The  ‘Sapne Nahi Hakikat Bunte Hai Tabhi Sab Modi Ko Chunte Hai’ campaign, however, is a departure from the edgy, meme-friendly content the ruling party has been releasing on social media in the last few weeks.



The sole focus of the new campaign is to present a holistic portrayal of development-focused initiatives under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 



Lasting 3.18 minutes, this multilingual campaign sharply spotlights Prime Minister’s Bharat focus. 



The campaign emphasizes the achievements of the BJP government which includes initiatives that have had a real and tangible impact on daily lives, making the campaign more relatable. From digital payments, subsidised LPG cylinders, narratives surrounding women empowerment to the much debated topic of ‘North East’, the new campaign covers it all.  

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6SY1i1ZBjE0?si=6TAXu_n2TaKURaYW" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>



Unlike the past few campaigns where the focus was on opposition and their failures, the new ad ensures that the spotlight remains on Modi. 




<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/agency-news/exclusive-i-n-d-i-a-alliance-bashing-dulha-kaun-hai-bjp-viral-ad-created-by-varahe-analytics-who-are-they-27591.htm">Also read: EXCLUSIVE: Varahe Analytics, the agency behind BJP’s ‘Dulha Kaun Hai' viral film</a>


Moving on to the campaign's visual narrative, it features diverse segments of society – students, women, scientists, and more, with treatment that allows it to resonate with viewers on a personal level. The inclusion of glimpses of cultural performances such as Kathak and Odissi dance adds a touch of vibrancy the creative narrative.



The backdrop of iconic landmarks like the Statue of Unity, the Ayodhya Temple, Atal Setu and others further reinforces the campaign's message, emphasizing the widespread impact of development initiatives across the nation.



In just about 2 hours after the video went live, it garnered over 1 lakh views on Instagram Reels. While thousands of comments are pouring in, the common theme in them seems to be exactly what the party wants to hear: ‘Ab Ki Baar 400 par’. 


No Pappu, no Kejriwal, no Dulha; Spotlight is on PM Modi's development agenda in new BJP campaign

Politicians are ditching dry speeches for a trendier tone. Memes, references to viral reels, and catchy phrases are replacing some of the usual mudslinging in the general election campaigns this year. This GenZ-influenced approach by political parties and candidates is all about attracting young voters with content they consume daily. 


Just last week, defence Minister Rajnath Singh joined in on the popular 'moye moye' trend, taking a light-hearted jab at the opposition during his speech at a public rally in Ghaziabad. It took the internet by storms with innumerable memes being circulated on social media platforms. 


While this counts as organic chatter, parties have made a complete shift to lighthearted content to keep the young voters engaged. 



<strong>Snackable content</strong> 


The proliferation of Reels (short videos on Instagram) has reached unprecedented levels, with political parties crafting easily consumable content. These Reels predominantly feature political satire, humour, critiques of the opposition, and leverage trending music to enhance engagement.



For instance, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently put together a short video portraying opposition leaders in a dating app-style interface on a reel, where they were all ‘left-swiped’. This is just one of the innumerable examples flooding the accounts of BJP, Congress, Trinamool Congress and many others. 



<strong>Meme marketing</strong>


For instance, the use of political memes by parties have never been as aggressive. BJP has reportedly even hired meme marketing agencies to create shareable content on trending topics for their Lok Sabha election campaigns. 


“The key stakeholders of the General Election seem to have understood the sheer scale and impact of meme culture thriving among the youth,” said Hari Krishnan, MD and head, Publicis Content. 


“Memes are mutations of original content from news and entertainment, therefore their endless supply in the form of trending and viral content ensures both volume and variety in messaging. In addition to that, the humour element increases shareability at scale,” Krishnan added.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/agency-news/madison-media-retains-bjp-media-planning-and-buying-mandate-for-2024-elections-exclusive-27229.htm">Read more: Madison Media retains BJP media planning and buying mandate for 2024 Elections: Exclusive</a>


According to Krishnan, while the messaging might take a light hearted approach, the underlying target doesn’t lose focus. Accordingly, the strategy to amplify this content plays an important role here.  



<strong>Influencer marketing</strong>


“When it comes to the choice of celebrities and influencers, decision makers understand that Gen Z is sharp and discerning. While they may follow a wide range of personalities, they also buy the serious messaging of voting and nation building from only those to whom they attribute a certain degree of wisdom and credibility,” Krishnan said.


Rahul Gandhi appearing on travel content creator Kamiya Jani’s show, Smriti Zubin opening up on The Ranveer Show are examples of how political leaders are trying to reach out to Gen Z through popular influencers and creators.
 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/meme-marketing-bjp-partners-with-acquaint-consultants-for-memes-in-2024-election-strategy-27561.htm">EXCLUSIVE: BJP partners with meme marketing agencies in 2024 election strategy</a>

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/bjp-hands-over-creative-mandates-to-these-agencies-26865.htm">Read more: Prasoon Joshi on winning BJP account: Looking forward to the challenge, BJP has great minds</a>


“By collaborating with these influencers to create 'thumbstopper' content, politicians get to be part of organic conversations as creators bring out relevant topics with current social media trends, broadening the politicians' appeal. The influencers make political messaging appear easy, and politicians look more approachable and 'cool - like us’,” said Anup Sharma, an independent communications consultant, who has been involved in the political campaign planning for more than a decade and currently working closely with few senior political leaders on key messaging and outreach strategy.


According to Sharma, the 2024 elections aren't just about having a digital presence. “The key is to engage with Gen Z in their language and ‘check their vibe’, as PM Modi did at the national creator awards,” he said.



<strong>Focus on digital</strong>

 

The spends on digital have also significantly gone up compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.


According to Google’s Ad Transparency Centre in the last seven days alone Rs12.05 crore has been spent on 64734 political ads. On Meta too, the spends have touched unprecedented numbers.


Both the platforms put together, digital has seen huge growth in spends.
 

Between February 2019 and May 2019, Google and Facebook reported a combined political ad expenditure of approximately Rs 58 crore.




<strong>The EC push</strong>



As per reports, there are around 49 million young adults in India between the ages of 18 and 19. However, only about 38 percent of these eligible first-time voters are registered according to Election Commission(EC) data.


The EC is also working towards getting more of these Gen Z voters on board. In a bid to achieve that target, actor Ayushmann Khurrana has been appointed EC ambassador for 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Khurana will urge the youth to exercise their right to select the nation's future leaders.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/meta-strengthens-ai-content-oversight-for-indian-general-elections-2024-amid-misinformation-threats-26853.htm">Read more: Meta strengthens AI content oversight for Indian General Elections 2024 amid misinformation threats</a>

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/news-has-credibility-to-drive-conversations-that-seed-the-development-agenda-ajay-dang-ultratech-cement-28140.htm">Read more: News has credibility to drive conversations that seed the development agenda: Ajay Dang, UltraTech Cement</a>



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

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has removed 5,20,042 political advertisements spread across its 12 zones following the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule. The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comes into effect when elections are announced, and it restricts political advertising in public spaces.

The MCD has 12 zones -- Rohini Zone, City SP Zone, Civil Lines Zone, Karol Bagh Zone, Narela Zone, Keshavpurm Zone, South Zone, West Zone, Najafgarh Zone, Central Zone, Shahadara North Zone and Shahadara South Zone.

As per as official document released earlier this week, the advertisements removed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi comprised hoardings, posters, banners, wall paintings, signages, and flags.

Delhi is scheduled to cast its votes on May 25 during the sixth phase of the seven-phase polls. Vote counting is slated for June 4.

According to the document, the civic body removed a total of 2,57,280 hoardings, 1,92,601 banners or wall paintings and posters, 40,022 removable signages, and 30,139 removable flags.

MCD removes over half a million political ads in Delhi before Lok Sabha elections

Ayushmann Khurrana, has been roped in by the Election Commission of India to urge youngsters to vote in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. In this campaign, Khurana will urge the youth to take action and exercise their right to select the nation's future leaders.


The actor will be collaborating with the Election Commission as pro bono support. 


“Voting day is often considered as a holiday with hundreds of excuses offered for not to vote. Through the campaign Ayushmann Khurana, gives out a beautiful message and a single reason of why one should vote. His act is highly convincing and impactful and resonates well with his followers, mostly the younger generation. ECI has tried to utilise Ayushmann’s potential and reach to inspire and mobilise youngsters towards voting, as an important democratic exercise & duty towards the future," said Santosh Ajmera, Director, Voter Education at Election Commission of India, New Delhi.


“Everyone must vote and be conscious citizens by participating in the process of nation-building. The power to choose the leaders who will represent the country, represent our needs in the Parliament rests with us. Every vote counts and every vote is important. Voting is a symbol of empowerment in a democratic nation like ours," said Khurana.


Over the years, the actor has been the poster boy of progressive content cinema that aims to champion inclusivity. He has also been the flag-bearer for gender inclusivity in India through his films.


Khurana is also UNICEF’s National Ambassador for India along with the likes of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. He is also the face of UNICEF’s global campaign EVAC (Ending Violence Against Children) with soccer icon David Beckham.


“I’m honoured and humbled to have been roped in by the Election Commission of India to urge youngsters to cast their vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. We are the largest democracy in the world, we are also a country with a huge youth population. So, it is imperative that the youth participates in deciding the future of our nation by casting their vote," he said. 

Actor Ayushmann Khurrana appointed Election Commission ambassador for 2024 Lok Sabha polls

Amidst the spotlight on several creative agency names behind the buzzing political ad films doing the rounds on social media, another addition to  Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s agency roster is Delhi-based One Source, specialising in digital marketing.


According to industry insiders, the agency holds a portion of the ruling party's digital creative mandate.


However, this partnership isn’t just limited to poll work.


”They've collaborated for nearly three years, primarily amplifying the party's digital presence across Google, Meta, and other platforms. However as elections draw nearer, the focus shifts towards campaign-related communication and amplification," said an insider who did not wish to be named.


The agency is tasked with overseeing these responsibilities for Delhi and parts of the NCR belt.


One Source as per their website is an integrated brand and marketing consultancy with expertise across branding, digital marketing, corporate communication, content marketing and visual storytelling.



“We consult brands on what to say, how to say it and where to say it,” said their website.

No single agency can claim credit for the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Lok Sabha campaigns. The party has put together a diverse agency roster. This strategic decision includes both small boutique and industry-leading firms across the digital, creative, and specialized political consulting agencies. Additionally, the party maintains a fully operational internal team comprising executives from top agencies nationwide.


<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/bjp-hands-over-creative-mandates-to-these-agencies-26865.htm">Prasoon Joshi on winning BJP account: Looking forward to the challenge, BJP has great minds</a>


While names like McCann Worldgroup, Scarecrow M&C Saatchi, and Madison Media are being associated with BJP's campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections, lesser-known firms such as Varahe Analytics, Moving Pixels Pvt. Ltd, and One Source have also surfaced. However, this list is not exhaustive. Like every other big brand, the party is working with a hyper-local approach, engaging smaller agencies to tailor messages for the diverse voter demographics.


<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/agency-news/madison-media-retains-bjp-media-planning-and-buying-mandate-for-2024-elections-exclusive-27229.htm">Madison Media retains BJP media planning and buying mandate for 2024 Elections: Exclusive</a>

The party is also partnering with influencer management agencies to onboard content creators and influencers who are subtly pushing political agenda by interviewing party leaders and creating relatable content to broaden the party's reach. Beyond the agency collabs, there is another parallel influencing system on a micro level and WhatsApp is a major tool in this arrangement. Parties designate points of contact (POCs) to circulate narratives on WhatsApp groups continuously.





ELECTIONS2024