Inside BJP’s marketing strategy for Lok Sabha Elections 2024
Eyeing a third consecutive term, the BJP has amped up its marketing efforts with heavy spending across mediums for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. The strategy revolves around projecting PM Narendra Modi as a dynamic leader, while also incorporating emotive appeals and increased digital communication. Here is a dive into how it is unfolding.
The 2024 general elections are already underway with multiple voting phases being carried out across the country. While the results of the biggest democratic elections in the world will be announced in a month’s time, the political campaigning and marketing strategies of political parties are at their zenith. The nation is witnessing political rallies every day with star campaigners from all parties giving passionate speeches.
As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) eyes a record third term in the parliament, it has invested substantially in its marketing efforts. While the previous two general elections could be said to have been swayed with the help of its ongoing momentum and PM Narendra Modi’s charisma and popularity among the populace, the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections seem to be particularly momentous as the party fights not only its political opponents but anti-incumbency.
Starting relatively late, the BJP’s marketing strategy picked up pace in the months leading up to elections leveraging its tried-and-tested messaging and tonality while also trying its hands at new digital-savvy approaches. Here is a look at how it panned out:
Keeping PM Modi at the centre of it all
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been the central figure around whom the BJP’s marketing communication has evolved since the beginning of the 2014 general election campaigning phase. Keeping the tradition going, the party’s marketing relied on the leader’s ability to sway voters and captivate audiences with his trademark speeches. PM Modi’s expeditions and his visits were extensively covered and snippets from these were posted on the party’s social media.
Still being the BJP's most potent political asset, the party’s marketing strategy revolved around projecting PM Modi as a dynamic leader capable of steering India towards progress and prosperity. Through carefully curated campaigns, rallies, and public appearances, BJP aimed to reinforce the ‘Brand Modi’ narrative, emphasising leadership, decisiveness, and a pro-development agenda.
Slogans such as ‘Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar’, ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’, and ‘Pehla Vote Modi Ko’ have been disseminated and popularised to position PM Modi as a formidable leader and invoke the nostalgia of the initial Modi wave.
Even in the communication related to the NDA coalition government, PM Modi’s face was prominently visible and heavily advertised.
Besides using a more digital-focused approach, the marketing strategy of the BJP continued its usage of the traditional mediums. The party is harnessing its on-ground popularity by organising rallies, roadshows, and prioritising grassroots-level mobilisation to consolidate support at the grassroots. The party's extensive network of volunteers, cadre, and affiliated organisations play a pivotal role in voter outreach and organising events at the local level.
Traditional media vis-a-vis TV news channels have been significantly used by the BJP’s marketing to tap into the major section of India that previously voted for the government. Along with that, the party used the influence of the out-of-home (OOH) medium by placing ads on billboards across the country in key locations.
A series of campaigns were launched in the months leading up to the elections to re-emphasise the party’s promises and previous achievements. One campaign titled ‘Vote ki Guarantee’ features people praising the schemes brought in by the government and promising to cast their vote this time too considering the future promises of the BJP.
Similarly, another campaign titled ‘Kalyug ki Guarantee’ features ads that feature a recurring message: in this ‘Kalyug’ nothing has a guarantee except PM Modi who has been working for the country 24x7. It also features the message that the government plans on to revamp India till 2047.
A few ads featuring the upcoming schemes that the government is planning to implement were also launched to generate favourable momentum.
Another significant campaign launched by the BJP was titled ‘Pehla Vote Modi Ko’ appealing to young voters who will be voting for the first time this election to vote for PM Modi.
Taking a direct dig at the opposition, the party launched a spoof video campaign involving caricatures of opposition leaders.
The BJP also spent heavily on print as frequent front page ads were spotted during the months of March and April in prominent mainstream newspapers, building considerable momentum through the traditional medium.
Emotive appeal and increased digital communication
From January 1 to April 10, 2024, the BJP emerged as the leading spender on Google ads. The collective expenditure of all political parties and their affiliated entities on the search giant since January 1 amounted to INR 117 crore. During the same period, the BJP allocated INR 39 crore to ads on Google, constituting one-third of the total expenditure. Thus, reflecting its heavy artillery and special emphasis on digital platforms.
From the time it came into power, the BJP has been adeptly harnessing emotive appeals to evoke patriotic sentiments and cultural pride among voters. Its campaigns have involved the themes of national unity, historical legacy, and cultural heritage, aiming to strike a chord with the electorate's sense of identity and belonging. By tapping into emotive triggers, BJP has been eyeing to foster a sense of camaraderie and solidarity, galvanising support for its electoral agenda.
Similar themes have been used this time around and their amplification amped up via the digital medium. The BJP’s social media communication went up substantially leveraging its Instagram, X (Twitter), and Facebook following. The party boasts a following of 21.8 million on X (Twitter), 7.7 million on Instagram, 16 million on Facebook, 5.87 million subscribers on YouTube, and an official WhatsApp channel that has 956K followers.
Besides this, PM Narendra Modi’s popularity on digital platforms was strategically leveraged to enhance the reach of the communication related to elections. The leader has 88.7 million followers on Instagram, a WhatsApp channel that boasts a following of 13 million, 23 million subscribers on YouTube, 49 million followers on Facebook, 97.5 million followers on X (Twitter), and a Spotify channel that features his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ episodes. These massive numbers helped the BJP’s marketing significantly giving an established presence on platforms to propel relevant messaging.
PM Modi’s channel on YouTube features exclusive videos from the leader’s endeavours. From his recent interview with Bill Gates to exclusive documentaries such as ‘The Vial: India’s Vaccine Story’ and ‘The Evacuation: Operation Ganga’, enough material is posted to keep the digital audience engaged and increase traffic.
To engage with younger audiences, the party leverages its social media by posting reels, static posts, and compilation videos. These often feature trending meme templates and involve taking a dig at the opposition.
Aiming to connect with the Gen Z voters, the party unveiled a video featuring young people rapping and singing to the beats of an anthem titled '24x7 for 2047'.
After unveiling its manifesto for the general generals, a series of video clips were posted across social media each focusing on a particular element of the manifesto.
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