How Indian politicians are leveraging influencer marketing for Lok Sabha Elections

Indian political campaigning has transformed, with politicians embracing digital platforms and influencer marketing for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Social media influencers and content creators play crucial roles in engaging the young audience. Let's delve into how Indian politicians are leveraging influencer marketing and content creators.

The rise of influencer marketing in Indian politics:

Influencer marketing is now vital for political parties, particularly among youth, utilizing platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. It humanizes political figures, enhancing relatability. Partnering with resonant influencers allows politicians to create authentic content, bypassing traditional media and connecting directly with voters, shaping public opinion effectively.

The role of content creators in political discourse:

In addition to influencers, content creators play a pivotal role in shaping political discourse and driving voter engagement on digital platforms. Content creators, including comedians, satirists, news commentators, and meme-makers, use humor, satire, and creativity to dissect political issues, hold leaders accountable, and galvanize public opinion.

This Lok Sabha Election, creators are making a lot of effort to become king makers:

Before the Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged with creators like BeerBiceps, Curly Tales, Abhi & Niyu, among others, at the Creator's Award 2024 in Delhi. Recently, several content creators experienced a surge in views for political content, surpassing their usual viewership. Ranveer Allahbadia (BeerBiceps) conversed with senior BJP leaders like S Jaishankar, Nitin Gadkari, and Subramanian Swamy, as well as opposition figures like Atishi Marlena, Raghav Chadha of the AAP, and Supriya Sule from the NCP(SP), flooding YouTube with political discourse.

Similarly, lifestyle and travel creators showcased a non-political side of politicians like Rahul Gandhi, Smriti Irani, Eknath Shinde, and Piyush Goyal, engaging with fans and voters. However, many politicians or their management ensure content approval or editing before publication, and questions may be shared with creators beforehand. YouTubers known for political satire and commentary, including Kunal Kamra, Akash Banerjee (The Deshbhakt), Nitish Rajput, and Dhruv Rathee, potentially influence the election narrative with informative videos critiquing the government's policies, scams, and decisions. Their content could shape public opinion and drive voter engagement, particularly among Gen Z voters.

Monetary reward and other challenges:

Several popular YouTubers have received offers of substantial sums by many politicians, often in the millions of rupees, to conduct interviews, particularly in the months leading up to the election. However, some creators don’t receive as lucrative offers as they do get from brand collaborations. Some creators have received direct cash offers from third-party organizations assisting lesser-known political figures with podcasts. Nevertheless, for most creators, the primary motivation is gaining notoriety and access within the political system, with money being incidental.

Finance-focused creators are being compensated Rs 10-12 lakh to endorse the policies of different political parties, often through multiple videos uploaded over several days or weeks. Additionally, leading influencers in tech and travel are being paid to subtly promote specific parties' digital and cultural offerings, without disclosing that the content is sponsored.

A trend observed is that opposition leaders are interviewed less frequently than BJP leaders by some of India's biggest influencers. Pro-BJP content has been prevalent recently, while the number of accounts publishing criticism of the current government has decreased, indicating a growing hesitancy to openly criticize the government. This trend raises concerns about democracy's health, as there seems to be more confidence in posting polarizing content or content that aligns with the government's ideologies.

Influencers have a greater capacity to push boundaries compared to traditional media. For instance, Dhruv Rathee's widely viewed video titled "Is India Turning into a Dictatorship?" featured direct criticism of the government, garnering over 24 million views on YouTube. Since its release, there has been an increased usage of the term 'dictatorship' in many creators’ conversations, signalling the impact of influencer content on public discourse. Some creators refuse political promotions to evade criticism but prioritize constant promotional posts, regardless of relevance. Those exploring critical political themes struggle to monetize. Brands, historically avoiding political or religious content, now buy online ad inventory linked to politics, assessed on the PINI scale. Few critical content creators secure sponsors, often tempered by brands.

Due to limited ad space demand, political content faces fewer and cheaper advertisements. Advertisers can opt out of displaying ads on sensitive Google content categories, excluding news and politics. Additionally, content creators critical of political parties often face demonetization issues on YouTube, limiting their income. Some creators, particularly those discussing topics like electronic voting machines, receive notifications of demonetization.

In conclusion, the fusion of influencer marketing and content creators in political campaigns is now a hallmark of Indian politics in the digital era. Leveraging the reach, credibility, and creativity of these figures, politicians engage voters innovatively, fostering dialogue, mobilizing support, and shaping electoral outcomes. As India gears up for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the influence of influencers and content creators in political communication is expected to expand further, cementing their status as crucial allies for politicians seeking the backing of the young and digitally savvy electorate.

The column is written by Yasin Hamidani, Director, Media Care Brand Solutions. Views expressed are personal.