Political parties are expected to spend over R136 crore on advertising in the ongoing assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh (UP), Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur. Much of the budget has been allocated to regional newspapers and news channels, radio and out-of-home (OOH) categories.
According to industry estimates, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to spend close to R40 crore, the Congress will spend around R80 crore.
The cost of a per ten second ad spot on a regional news channel ranges between R300-500. A full front jacket in all editions of Dainik Jagran in UP is priced at around R25-30 lakh.
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“This time political parties are spending more on OOH advertising and below-the-line activity such as roadshows and hoardings instead of traditional media,” a senior media planner who did not want to be named, said.
Uttar Pradesh has seen maximum spend on advertising by political parties. The BJP has spent about R20 crore, while the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance has spent close to R60 crore on advertising and marketing.
Punjab is the next state, which has four key political parties in the field. The Congress, the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal have spent around R10 crore each on advertising while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has spent about R6 crore on marketing. Both the Congress and the BJP have spent about the same amount, that is close to R5 crore, on advertising across different media channels in Uttarakhand, and another R6 crore in Goa.
“As literacy rate is still low in the hinterland, advertising is more brand and logo lead, as at the end of the day, people tend to remember the symbol a party follows when they enter a polling booth to cast their votes,” said a an analyst on condition of anonymity.
