While the BJP and Congress dominated the digital space, other parties also made their presence felt. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) was the third-largest spender. It served 4,857 ads costing ₹21 crores. The Central Bureau of Communications (CBC), previously known as the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity, also invested heavily just ahead of the Election Commission’s official notification for the general election. Between 1 January and 16 March, the total spending from CBC on ads was ₹32 crores. During this span, the CBC aggressively promoted government schemes and policies through 877 ads.
Interestingly, some significant players abstained from the digital fray altogether. The Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal, despite their regional clout, did not invest in Google Ads. This absence suggests a strategic choice or possibly a reliance on traditional campaigning methods.
The BJP’s aggressive digital strategy not only ensured extensive visibility but also maximized engagement. Their investment paid off in terms of watch time and viewer interaction-related key metrics in the digital advertising world. This approach reflects a broader trend in modern electoral strategies where digital presence is increasingly crucial.
Incidentally, this digital dominance also brought challenges. Google removed eight BJP ads for policy violations. One particularly controversial video ad showed Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Siddaramaiah feeding ‘funds’ to a larger bird labelled ‘Muslim’ while smaller birds labelled ‘SC’, ‘ST’, and ‘OBC’ were left unfed. This created a misleading narrative about the Congress’ stance on reservations. In contrast, the Congress party largely relied on positive campaigns, resulting in none of their 10 million views videos being taken down by Google for policy violations between February and May.
However, the path of Congress for creating noticeable ad space in digital media has not been smooth. If we look at Google Ads Transparency data, it tells us the story of Congress’s deprivation in terms of digital ad presence. Between September 2023 and December 2023, Congress faced 41.07% (on videos with 5-10 million views) sanction and ads removal due to policy violations as opposed to BJP’s 31.3%.
The 2024 general election underscored a pivotal shift in how political campaigns are conducted in India. Digital advertising, once a supplementary tool, has become central to electoral strategy. The BJP’s substantial investment and the subsequent results demonstrate the power of money fueled by digital campaigns. For future elections, the political parties will likely increase their focus on digital platforms, allocating more resources to online ads to capture the electorate’s attention.
The BJP’s expenditure of ₹116 crore on Google Ads underscores the evolving landscape of political campaigning in India. Their success in leveraging digital platforms to engage voters and shape public opinion marks a significant evolution in electoral strategy. As digital media continues to grow in influence, understanding and mastering this domain will be crucial for any political party aspiring to win the hearts and minds of the electorate in future elections.
(Adil Raza Khan is a freelance journalist and advertising communication specialist.)