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Jamshedpur Research Review (UGC Approved International Research Journal) Year VI Vol. IV Issue XXIX
ISSN: 2320-2750 April- May 2018 5
POLITICAL ADVERTING IN INDIA
Dr. Mithilesh Kumar Choubey
Director, Gyanjyoti Educational and Research Foundation, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
Abstract
Political advertising is a kind of advertising or marketing communication, used by political parties to
communicate with public. Such information have political relevance and public interest. Political
advertising attempts to influence or comment upon a matter which is currently the subject of extensive
political debate. Political advertising becomes election advertising when it aims to affect the voting in
upcoming election. Advertising or marketing communications are generally regarded as “election
advertising” where they contain material intended or likely to affect voting in an upcoming election.
Election advertising is not necessarily limited to advertising by parties or candidates contesting an
election and may include advertising outside of an election period where there is a relevant connection
to an election. Generally, it will not include government information or education campaigns outside of
an election period. The paper presented here, gives a comprehensive picture of emerging trends in
political advertising in India in the backdrop of social media revolution where a passive voter has
become active party supporter. The paper suggests that illegal access to the personal details of millions
of Indian voters is dangerous for Indian democracy because marketing agencies are misusing the
information for unethically influencing the voter behaviour. India needs strict laws for social media and
data leaks. With the help of the examples of some old political advertising campaigns of Congress and
BJP, the paper tries to establish that political advertising is only an effective marketing communication
tool and it cannot hide ground realities and that political advertising can create false gods in politics but
for a very short time period only.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Political advertising is as much an art as it is a
science. Get it right, and you'd be a winner. Get
it wrong, and your political fortune could take
a nosedive! Political Advertising services can
offer an edge over the competitors. Political
Parties hire advertising agencies for designing
high impact political advertising strategy and
execute powerful political advertising
campaign for the party and its candidates.
Well planned investment in political
advertising can enable political parties and
political candidates to influence their electorate
or voters; or to comment on, or create a political
debate on any issue through innovative political
advertising strategies. Political advertising may
also include advertising that informs or creates
awareness about relevant political issues, or
issues of public interest, and advertising related
to create awareness about, or to promote
government policies. Such advertising forms
the core of political advertising campaign
strategy in India.
Today political advertising
services includes print advertising, television
advertising, radio advertising, outdoor
advertising, online advertising, mobile
advertising and social media advertising
services. They also help formulating a
comprehensive political advertising strategy
in India through comprehensive media
research, media selection, media buying and
design and production of all advertisements and
advertising material, keeping in mind their
campaign objectives and advertising budget.
The main function of a political
advertising agency is to sketch a well thought
out political advertising strategy, execute it in
an advertising campaign and persuade the
voters to in favour of the political party.
The appropriate media mix available
for execution include: FM Radio Channels, TV
Channels, Magazines, Newspapers, SMS,
Voice Messages, Whatsapp, search engines,
news search, video search, regular online
search, e-zines, online news sites, blogs, forums
and communities, social networks like
Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn,
YouTube etc.
Jamshedpur Research Review (UGC Approved International Research Journal) Year VI Vol. IV Issue XXIX
ISSN: 2320-2750 April- May 2018 6
Recent developments
Political advertising is now passing through a
transformation phase in India due to media
revolution and amalgamation of behviournal
science, marketing management politics and
most importantly their access to personal
profile of millions and millions of Indian voters
through leaked documents of Facebook, Twiter
and Adhar. Now, political parties are in better
position than ever before to study the likes,
dislikes, preferences etc. of Indian voters and
influence their voting behavior through
appropriate marketing communicate.
A passive supporter becomes active social
media campaigner
Now, messages are created in a very sensational
manner to create buzz. Apart from party
workers, millions of unknown party supporters
communicate, share, like, defend and support
these messages on social media and help get it
viral. Such messages ignite chain reactions and
unknown party followers share/reproduce
/create similar messages on social media. It is a
new type of political advertising where
unknown followers become not only carrier but
also creator of messages. To start and
accelerate the chain reaction, political parties
hire well trained social media teams who
sometimes create fake accounts on social media
and share sensitive messages/hate messages.
These messages mainly create fear factor in
voters mind. Literally afraid, millions of social
media users share and forward these messages.
But new political advertising is quite
uncontrolled, uncensored and can be multiplied
quickly and quite often spread riots and social
tensions.
Advertising budget is growing
In India, expenditure on advertisement is
growing 10% annually since 2013. During the
election time it may multiply up to 200%. 2014
general elections was the turning point. Now no
political party can afford to overlook the
importance of advertisement in political
battlefield. For ad agencies, politics is a new
potential market. Demand for marketing
experts and smart brains of IIM passouts is high
in Indian political battle field. Today political
parties spend millions of rupees as a fee’s to
political advertising agencies. On this front,
ruling party BJP was miles ahead of its rivals.
But now main opposition party of BJP, Indian
National Congress has also joined the league.
Not only the BJP and Congress, but all the
leading Indian political parties are spending
heavily on advertisement. Advertising agencies
Soho Square, Ogilvy and Mather, and media
buying agency Madison World helped
Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
sweep to power in the 2014 Lok Sabha
elections with the biggest election victory in 30
year. The creative backbone of the party’s
campaign was Piyush Pandey, executive
chairman and creative director for South Asia
at Ogilvy and Mather.1
According to the CMS pre-post poll
study, upwards of Rs 5,500 crore were spent by
major political parties in 2017 Uttar Pradesh
assembly elections.2 Every vote cast in UP
involved a cost of about Rs 750. During the
elections much of the budget was allocated to
regional newspapers and TV news channels,
FM radio, Aakashwani and out-of-home
(OOH) categories. The cost of a per ten second
ad spot on a regional news channel ranges
between Rupees 300-500. A full front jacket in
all editions of Dainik Jagran in UP is priced at
around R25-30 lakh during the 2017 assembly
elections.3
A couple of decades ago, political
parties would start their advertisement
campaign just before six months to the
elections. But now trend is totally changed.
Now political parties run their campaign
throughout the year and spend lavishly on
advertisement and publicity. Government
expenditure on ad spending have also been
increasing double digits over the last 3-4 years.
All the schemes that are announced, the public
sector, all put together, it is growing over 10
percent. The figures may shoot up dramatically
in 2019 when 15th LokSabha elections are
scheduled to be held on.
DAVP is the nodal agency of the
central government for advertising on behalf of
various ministries, departments, public sector
firms and autonomous organizations funded by
the government. In total, DAVP has spent close
to Rs3,473 crore in three years (that ended 31
March 2017) of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi-led NDA government on advertising and
publicity across print, television, radio and
digital mediums.5 For 2016-17, DAVP’s
Jamshedpur Research Review (UGC Approved International Research Journal) Year VI Vol. IV Issue XXIX
ISSN: 2320-2750 April- May 2018 7
advertising expenditure stood at Rs1,285.77
crore. There is expected to be an increase in the
money that goes to DAVP from I&B ministry
to around Rs220 crore, given that 2018 will be
dominated by assembly elections and general
elections are on the horizon as well. The overall
budget of DAVP, which is estimated at Rs1,350
crore this year, is also expected to increase as
other ministries will (expectedly) advertise
more.Between 2002-03 and 2017-18 central
government spent Rs 10000 crore in 16 years
from 2002-03 to 2017-18 on advertisement.
Expenditure on publicity increased
significantly during election years. For
instance, the amount spent from 2004-05 to
2007-08 (4 years) is equal to the amount spent
in just two years (2008-09 & 2009-10). Same is
the case with 2013-14 & 2014-15. On average,
the publicity expenditure in an election year
was 40% more than the preceding year. The
overall publicity expenditure has been at least
Rs 1000 crore in each of the years starting
2013-14.
Fig-1 Amount spent by Govt of India on publicity (2002-2018)
Political advertising- life line for print media
in India
Government is the main advertiser for the
newspaper. To announce welfare schemes, and
get connected with public state and central
governments spend on newspapers and
electronic media. Interestingly Indian print
media is growing 4.3 percent annually contrary
to the global trend where ad expenditure on
print media is shrinking in favour of online and
electronic media. Financially, many
newspapers in the country are totally dependent
on govt advertisements today. Financial
dependency upon government advertisements
is affecting the independence of policies of
news media.
Mind mapping of voters through behvioural
studies
Today politics is very much like business,
where focus is upon influencing of targeted
groups. This type of politics is executed
through well-planned marketing strategy. It
starts with dividing the voters on the basis of
their demographic profile. Caste, community,
religion, age, gender etc. are the primary bases
of voter segmentation. After the voter
segmentation, potential winning combinations
are identified. For that personal data of all the
voters are collected through ADHAR, social
media and other sources. In the last century
‘voter list’ was the main source of this kind of
analysis. It was a very complex and time taking
process. But Facebook and Cambridge
Analitica scams have indicated how political
parties are using personal data of social media
users for during elections.
Once the targeted group of voters are
identified, hired ad agency study their voting
behavior through field survey, social media
trends, media reports etc. Such studies aim to
develop insight into voting decision making
process and also the parameters and criteria
being used by voters during their voting
Jamshedpur Research Review (UGC Approved International Research Journal) Year VI Vol. IV Issue XXIX
ISSN: 2320-2750 April- May 2018 8
decision making process. Degree of impact of
various factors like: religion, caste, gender,
unemployment, etc are also studied. Decision
making factors may vary, depending upon the
demographic, psychographic and local
conditions attributes. Take for example, caste
factors are less effective in urban areas. But are
quite influential in the rural areas. Chances of
communal polarization can be very high just
after the communal riots.
.
Individual Branding of party leader
In Indian politics, brand building is personality
based and it revolves around top most party
leader. Branding of party’s top leaders and
providing him a specific image through social
media, electronic media, print media, posters
&banners is an important function of a political
advertising campaign. J. Jailalitha, K.
Karunanidhi, Mamta Banerjee, Mayawati, Lalu
Prasad, Lal Krishna Advani, and Narendra
Modi all have specific images in contemporary
Indian politics. Creation of brand ‘NaMo’ is
one of the best example of individual branding,
where media management, brand building and
tactical marketing all acted together. All this
started with Gujarat state tourism department
advertisement campaign during the Narendra
Modi tenure as a chief minister. This
advertisement campaign gave Narendra Modi
national Coverage.
Later on media created NaMo Brand-
a Hindu hardliners. Somehow opposition
parties also strengthened A Hindu Hardliner
image of Narendra Modi. An interesting case
study on creation of Brand NaMo explains7-
“from a humble background as a Chaiwala (Tea
Seller), Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
(Modi) personal brand, Brand Modi or ‘NaMo’
had turned into a mass brand and enjoyed
credibility among the people of India for the
development of his home state, Gujarat, when
he was heading that state. The transition from a
politician to a Brand was well chartered out and
the evolution of Brand NaMo was spectacular.
Brand NaMo scored due to the efforts of a team
of marketing experts hired by Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) that had created a successful media,
marketing and branding campaigns ever
witnessed in India’s electoral history. BJP had
adopted a ‘360 degree, full-fledged campaign
which included mass media like print,
television, radio and outdoor, new media such
as online and social media, events and on-
ground activities’. Apart from that, rallies,
appearances, consumer touch points at tea stalls
were very effective in delivering Brand NaMo
to the target electorate in the Lok Sabha
elections of 2014.”
During 80s, images of top political
leaders were created by the people of the
country. Images were real and permanent. But
now images are strategically created and
communicated. They are mostly artificial, non-
permanent and essentially induced through
professional advertising agencies and
supportive news media groups
In 1990s, Lalu Prasad cleverly used
electronic media to build his image of pro-
backward class politician, a champion of social
justice & secularism and a common man who
does not hesitate to spend time with his cows
and buffalos. Poor and backward caste people
liked his avatar and voted for him heavily. In
2005 his pro-poor imaged partly destroyed after
his alleged involvement in Fodder Scam.
Political opponents further damaged his image
with ‘Chara Chor’ and ‘Jangal Raj’
Campaign.’ Sometime when glamorous image
of Lalu was fading His college day friend
Nitish kumar, was building his image of
‘Vikash Purush’ and ‘Susasan Babu’.
Everything possible in political warfare:
Unlike business sector, where competitors do
not directly attack the rivals, in politics it is
quite common. Allegations, attacks and counter
attacks are the main weapons of modern
politics. Parties counter attack the brand image
building drive of opponents through well-
planned array negative branding. Skilled,
trained and outspoken media spokespersons are
today more important than ever before. Team of
professional strategists are hired to give them
back office support and to assist during media
debates.
Social Media- Fake News
Now social media is playing a very important
role in Indian politics. Unlike print and
electronic media, social media is not well
regulated. So political parties can use social
media more freely. Millions of Fake accounts
are created and fake news are spread through
Jamshedpur Research Review (UGC Approved International Research Journal) Year VI Vol. IV Issue XXIX
ISSN: 2320-2750 April- May 2018 9
IT cells. Fake news is a propaganda that
consists of deliberate disinformation or hoaxes
spread via traditional print and broadcast news
media or online social media.
There is no ethical boundaries or code
of conduct fake news in India today. Fake news
are dangerously spread to ignite communal
riots, caste violence etc. for the polarization of
voters. With emergence of political advertising
agencies and paid campaigners, role of party
workers is gradually changed. Now paid
workers are hired by the IT cell to open multiple
accounts on twitter, Facebook, What’s App etc,
to create share and spread favorable/fake
messages. Now Political advertising campaigns
are highly centralized and controlled. Party
workers are expected to create BUZZ around
these campaigns.
With the evolution of new digital offset
printing technology banters, posters, hoardings,
pamphlets, flags, etc. are printed and duplicated
in a very short period of time. It is an end of
an era when party workers would spent
sleepless nights writing slogans on cardboards
for next day processions. Indeed, it is totally a
new kind of poltical scenario where battle are
fought on social media and electronic media.
Now door to door campaign are replaced by
MMS, SMS and twits, whatsapps etc. Indian
voter is still very emotive.
Ethics at the backseat
Use of new technology in political battlefield is
inevitable, but main concern is unethical and
illegal use of it to create hoax, rumor, fake
brand image, trashing others’ image, spreading
hatred, igniting riots, communal violence for
voter polarization and manufacturing false
mandate through misleading the voters. They
can easily be misguided by communal and caste
based slogans and statements. Advertisement
help political parties to bypass the real issues
and take political debate on trivial matters.
Virtual world is the new real world of this type
of political discourse. Role of new technology
in politics is inevitable. But, is it good for
Indian democracy? Apprehensions are there.
Concerns are many, but main issue is ‘control
on fake news, political lies and fake image
building with the help of fake accounts’.
Lawmakers have power to control it but they
themselves are the reprobates and beneficiaries.
History suggests advertisements cannot
hide ground realities
In 1989, Bofors Gun Scam had already grabbed
the minds of Indian voters. Mr. Clean
Campaign of Congress party failed to create
magic. n 1983 Indira Gandhi was killed by her
bodyguards. There was a shock wave in the
country. In the 1984 general elections, the party
got unprecedented landslide victory as it
projected her assassination as a threat to the
unity and integrity of the country and urged the
people to vote for it when terrorism was raising
its head. To communicate this message to the
voters, Congress had hired Reinfusion. But
Reinfusion can not be credited for the Party’s
victory.
In 1989, Rajiv Gandhi ventured into
formal political advertising and hired
professional agencies to carry out the election
campaign of the order of Rs 20 crores. The
campaign brought the ‘Mr Clean’ concept for
the Prime Minister. Despite heavy campaigning
through electronic and print media, Congress
lost the general election to the third front
headed by Vishwanath Pratap Singh.
In the same election in 1989, there was
the 'My Heart Beats for India' series of print
advertisements created by Rediffusion for Rajiv
Gandhi and the Congress. It had images of
scorpions, masks, broken dolls and other
horrific images - all intended to show what
would befall India if it were to choose an option
other than the Congress. If anything the
campaign lent itself to lampoons and parodies
at the cost of the Congress. The party, as is well
known, lost the election, India today reported.9
In 2012 Congress hired Percept/H and
film maker Pradeep Sarkar of Apocalypso
Filmworks. Advertisements were certainly
pleasant looking and better crafted than those of
1989, but hardly the kind that would swing
public mood, given the prevailing anti-
incumbency sentiment. In any case, the large ad
budget - said to be Rs. 100 crore – failed to
achieve the goals.9
India Shining ad campaign of 2003/04
was started by BJP-led NDA when it was in
power. The campaign failed because it exposed
the BJP's disconnect with ground reality at the
time. India Shining was the brainchild of Grey
Worldwide. But in 2009, Congress purchased
the rights to AR Rahman's famous track 'Jai-Ho
Jamshedpur Research Review (UGC Approved International Research Journal) Year VI Vol. IV Issue XXIX
ISSN: 2320-2750 April- May 2018 10
ahead of Lok Sabha polls and using it
extensively, worked too.
It means ad agencies can only
communicate actual achievements. Their role is
limited to effective communication only. They
cannot manipulate ground realities. If political
party has worked well, a good advertising
campaign can give it an edge. Best
advertisement campaigns can be failed, if party
fails to perform at grassroots level. Take the
example of Narendra Modi and Arvind
Kejriwal. It is purely Modi's own persona that
has stood out. Arvind Kejriwal’s personal
equity and ability succeed to generate faith
among voters.
There are many advertising agencies in
our country who claim that they can change the
mind of the voters with the help of magical
advertisements and PR. Keen to win the
election, political parties spend millions of
rupees on such advertising agencies. Fake
brand images are created and communicated by
these advertising agencies. They attempt to
create fake gods in Indian politics. But these
fake gods are mortals, and have very short life
span. Election results often dismay their
claims. Marketers take political parties as
‘product’ and voters as ‘customers’. But voters
are not customers and voting is not like buying
TV, fridge or air cooler. It is proved time and
again that voters are smarter than ad agencies.
Voters’ mind is enigma and cannot be predicted
easily. Good Advertisements cannot hide bad
governance.
References:
1. https://www.livemint.com/Politics/r8
mxrPeaMsUR7IfLQGSTgL/The-ad-
agencies-behind-BJPs-successful-
campaign.html
2. //economictimes.indiatimes.com/articl
eshow/57686403.cms?utm_source=co
ntentofinterest&utm_medium=text&ut
m_campaign=cppst
3. https://www.financialexpress.com/ind
ustry/parties-shell-out-over-rs-136-
crore-on-advertising-in-state-
polls/545001/
4. https://www.livemint.com/Politics/2m
5. https://www.livemint.com/Politics/2m
QYuQsNEpNFnDS0uoKNZJ/IB-
ministrys-ad-budget-likely-to-rise-by-
20-in-FY19-as-po.html
6. Schwarz, Hunter. "The FCC could
start posting more information about
political ads
online". Washingtonpost.com. The
Washington Post. Retrieved 11
August2014.
7. www.thecasecentre.org/main/products
/view?id=124552
8. https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/n
ation/story/19891130-election-media-
congressi-ad-campaign-flops-816817-
1989-11-30
9. https://www.businesstoday.in/current/
perspective/advertising-political-
parties-work-affect/story/202120.html
10. Ibid
Jamshedpur Research Review (UGC Approved International Research Journal) Year VI Vol. IV Issue XXIX
ISSN: 2320-2750 April- May 2018 11