The Battle of Ads
In the heat of the general elections, political parties are leaving no stone unturned to reach out to the masses. A significant part of their strategy involves advertising, and Google Ads has become a popular platform for this purpose. A recent report from the Google Ads Transparency Center provides an insightful look into the ad spends of various political parties in April 2024.
Congress Leads the Way
Between April 1, 2024, and April 26, 2024, the Indian National Congress (INC) emerged as the highest spender on Google ad campaigns. The party invested a whopping Rs 18 crore, demonstrating its commitment to leveraging digital platforms for its election campaign.
BJP Follows Close Behind
Not far behind was the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), which invested Rs 14 crore during the same period. The majority of the BJP’s ads featured Prime Minister Narendra Modi and were run in different languages, reflecting the party’s diverse voter base.
Other Parties in the Fray
The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party and the Telugu Desam Party of Andhra Pradesh trailed behind with ad spends of nearly Rs 4 crore and around Rs 1.5 crore, respectively. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) spent Rs 1.3 crore on its ads, indicating a more conservative approach to its ad campaign.
Regional Focus: Tamil Nadu Tops the List
In terms of regional focus, Tamil Nadu emerged as the top target for political ads on Google, with ad spends amounting to Rs 17 crore. This was followed by Andhra Pradesh (Rs 6 crore) and Rajasthan (Rs 4 crore), highlighting the strategic importance of these regions in the elections.
Ad Formats: Video Ads Dominate
When it comes to the format of the ads, political parties showed a clear preference for video ads, which accounted for 74.9% of the total ad spends. Image ads made up 25% of the ad spend, while the rest was spent on text ads.
Conclusion: The Power of Digital Advertising
The data from the Google Ads Transparency Center underscores the growing importance of digital advertising in political campaigns. As parties invest heavily in Google Ads, it’s clear that the battle for votes is not just being fought on the ground but also in the digital arena.
Also Read: Boomer’s Wobbly Fun: Jasprit Bumrah Stars in Latest Campaign
