With less than a year to go until the UK general election, and with the European elections results fresh in politician’s minds, political parties are ramping up their marketing activity.
For example, Ed Miliband has enlisted Obama’s strategic advisor ahead of next year’s general election, demonstrating the importance of a strong campaign.
Political marketing and advertising campaigns have evolved over the years from billboard and leafleting campaigns to the point where the major political parties in the UK can no longer afford to ignore the power that new and innovative ways of spreading their message can offer. With mobile advertising set to overtake print in the next year, it could well be a key component in the party’s campaigns and one that helps to swing the minds of voters as a result.
Mobile advertising has a vast range of benefits and the next general election will see politicians truly embrace this powerful medium. In the most recent election campaigns, the web has become an increasingly important channel for reaching out to voters in that it compliments traditional advertising as complimentary messaging can be transmitted at all times.
As an increasingly large portion of users move to smartphones and tablets, the mobile advertising trend opens new opportunities for political marketing.
There are a number of reasons for this. Mobile devices can enable political campaigns to hone in on target groups in interesting and engaging ways, through geographical and demographical targeting. Family politics must be directed to parents of young children, while messages about eldercare 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. He adapted his campaign to engage with his chosen audience through relevant channels but in a non-traditional manner, and it worked!
Mobile advertising has incredible power, as it allows you to follow your audience in a way that isn’t possible through other means. No other method exists of ensuring you are constantly in the pocket of your audience. Right now, the mobile phone is very much a reach medium; and as such can compliment TV advertising bringing two-way communications to a single direction channel.
Mobile advertising is not a one-way communication broadcast. Done correctly, advertising is more than just 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?
Watch this space for more!
