VISHAKHAPATNAM: In their relentless attempts to connect with the voters, party leaders are innovating their styles. As if television commercials aren’t enough, they are now reaching out to movie-theatres, music-listening segments and YouTube-viewers.
Political parties are promoting their poll campaigns through videos showcasing their work and party ideology in movie theatres, as also via YouTube and music apps like Spotify and Gaana.
These campaigns are being shown during ad breaks, making it impossible for voters to miss them.
In a unique move, political parties are also using phone calls to reach out to voters. When one dials a number, instead of the usual ring sound, he or she now hears a voice message promoting a particular party or leader.
Netizens on social media compared the new campaign strategies to the Covid-19 days when people were reminded, similarly via phone messages, to “wash their hands and wear masks.”
KVR Prasad, a retired naval dockyard employee, told Deccan Chronicle that during a call he made with his daughter, he encountered a recorded message urging support for a political party. It cited various government schemes and accomplishments.
The message urged voters to cast their ballots for the party on May 13.
Akash Deep, a YouTube blogger, discussed his challenges with Deccan Chronicle, noting that his audience is a relatively small and niche audience. Despite focusing on travel videos, which tend to be of longer in duration, he cited instances of recent inclusion of advertisements in his content.
As a result, he said, there was a decline in both viewership and reach, adversely impacting his channel's performance.
Azzu, a photographer who went with friends to watch a movie on Eid, said there was a change in experience during the interval. Instead of trailers for upcoming films, as is usually done at that time, short films promoting a party were played. “This annoyed me,” he said.
From social media handles to TV commercial ads and songs, political leaders are leaving no stone unturned to connect with their voters.
The use of technology and innovative strategies has made it easier for political parties to reach out to a wider audience. It remains to be seen how effective these campaigns will be in influencing voters' decisions.
