Strategies, digital tools and best practices in political marketing for campaigns.
For a successful election campaign, in addition to good proposals and a good government plan, it is necessary to present them to voters in an intelligent and assertive way.
Therefore, political marketing is an ally in running an election campaign. This way, it will gain a more strategic format and more efficient communication.
If we adapt the marketing practices of globally recognized brands to the political arena, we can draw several lessons for electoral campaign strategies. Because in the end, the goal is the same: to win!
the political scene
The political landscape is a representation of the current political environment, which encompasses a variety of aspects, including political parties, leaders, ideologies, policy issues, and recent events.
This scenario is dynamic and constantly changing, reflecting the complex interactions between different actors and factors within a country or region.
Main Elements of the Political Scenario:
- Political Parties: Political parties are organizations that represent different interests and ideologies in society. They play a central role in the political landscape, competing for power and influence through elections and other forms of political engagement.
- Political Leaders: Political leaders, such as presidents, prime ministers, legislators, and party leaders, wield significant influence in the political landscape. Their decisions and actions shape public policy, government direction, and overall political dynamics.
- Political Ideologies: Political ideologies, such as conservatism, liberalism, socialism, and nationalism, play an important role in shaping political views and agendas. They influence the policies adopted by governments and the platforms of political parties.
- Political Issues: Political issues such as the economy, health, education, security, the environment, and human rights are central topics of debate and controversy in the political arena. They reflect society's concerns and priorities and are often the focus of political and legislative campaigns.
- Recent Events: Recent events, such as elections, political crises, protests, scandals, and changes in government, have a significant impact on the political landscape. They can alter power dynamics, influence public opinion, and trigger significant policy changes.
Challenges and Trends in the Political Scenario
- Political Polarization: Political polarization, characterized by ideological and partisan divisions, is a significant challenge in many countries. It can lead to heated debates, a lack of cooperation between parties, and difficulties in formulating consensual policies.
- Distrust in Political Institutions: Distrust of political institutions, such as governments, political parties, and the media, is a worrying trend in many places. This can undermine the legitimacy of the political system and weaken democracy.
- Globalization and Regional Integration: Globalization and regional integration are shaping the political landscape, with unique challenges and opportunities in areas such as international trade, migration, security, and political cooperation.
- Technological advancements: Technological advances such as social media, artificial intelligence, and big data are transforming politics, altering how campaigns are run, how opinions are formed, and how governments interact with citizens.
- Global Crises: Global crises, such as pandemics, climate change, and international conflicts, are challenging governments and requiring coordinated policy responses at the national and international levels.
The political landscape is constantly evolving, and the race for the 2024 elections is already underway. In fact, it's worth noting in your calendar: the first round of the 2024 elections takes place on October 6th, while the runoff will be held on October 27th.
As we know, this will be the year to vote to decide on new names for municipal positions, that is, mayors and councilors.
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What to expect from the 2024 elections?
First and foremost, the 2024 elections will likely be marked by an intensification of digital competition. In fact, this is a trend that has been present in recent elections and is expected to become increasingly consolidated. Thus, we can talk about the use of artificial intelligence and data analysis to personalize electoral messages, for example. Furthermore, social media tends to be an important mechanism for communicating with different voter segments.
In 2024, around 152 million Brazilian voters will go to the polls to elect their candidates for municipal office. These politicians, such as mayors, deputy mayors, and councilors, will be responsible for serving in municipal legislatures across the country. Therefore, these are important positions for the future of our cities.
Beyond political marketing, those intending to run for one of these positions need to pay close attention to the electoral calendar. After all, its deadlines are essential for regularizing candidacies. For example, the party window, which is the period during which politicians can change their party affiliation, runs from March 6th to April 6th. Furthermore, municipal secretaries or those holding positions of trust who intend to run for office can resign until April 6th. For public servants, this deadline ends on July 6th.
Check out the 2024 electoral calendar
| Data | Events |
| 6/3/2024 | Start of the party window, to change parties without losing your mandate |
| 6/4/2024 | End of the party window; Deadline to be a member and run for office; disqualification of municipal secretaries and CCs |
| 15/5/2024 | Pre-candidates can carry out fundraising actions |
| 6/6/2024 | Union leaders and other office holders must leave their posts |
| 30/6/2024 | TV commentators and presenters can no longer go on air if they are candidates |
| 6/7/2024 | Candidates can no longer participate in public works inaugurations; institutional advertising is restricted |
| 20/7/2024 | Opening of the deadline for party conventions |
| 5/8/2024 | Deadline for party conventions |
| 15/8/2024 | Deadline for registration of candidacy, until 19 pm |
| 16/8/2024 | Start of electoral propaganda 2024 |
| 30/8/2024 | Beginning of electoral propaganda on radio and TV |
| 4/10/2024 | Last day for rallies, debates and end of electoral propaganda 2024 |
| 5/10/2024 | Last day for street and online advertising |
| 6/10/2024 | First round of the 2024 elections |
| 11/10/2024 | Start of radio and TV advertising for the second round of the 2024 elections |
| 24/10/2024 | End of radio and TV advertising for the second round |
| 26/10/2024 | Last day for rallies, debates and end of electoral propaganda in the second round |
| 27/10/2024 | Second round of elections |
| 19/12/2024 | Deadline for the certification of elected officials |
Political marketing: special attention to campaigns
With another election year approaching, it's essential that candidates know what they can and can't do regarding their campaigns. After all, understanding political marketing best practices is crucial to a successful candidacy. While basic, it's important to know that not all candidates, or even marketing professionals, know what is and isn't allowed. However, it's clear that taking precautions is essential to a viable and trouble-free candidacy.
First, we know that content creation and other digital marketing tools are crucial during election season. However, these are challenging practices that require attention and care to consolidate digital strategies. This is meticulous work, and professionals involved must always be aware of regulations and best practices. In addition to advertising legislation for candidates, it's essential to be aware of controversial issues in everyday life. After all, we know that any mistake or misstep can jeopardize a candidacy.
Tips for political marketing campaigns
When it comes to a political marketing campaign, it's crucial to adopt a strategic and ethical approach to achieving your goals and winning voter support.
From now on, you will see some important tips to consider:
1. Don't use false information to create content
The first tip may seem simple, but it isn't. After all, we know that fake news has dominated many campaigns in recent years. However, it's important to keep in mind that basing political marketing strategies on fake news is a big mistake that can ruin everything. Although many candidates use this false or even dubious information to promote their campaigns and try to undermine the opposition, it's important to know that voters are increasingly aware.
Furthermore, the press has been investing in careful analysis of this information, combing through every sentence spoken or shared with a fine-tooth comb. Thus, although it may seem obvious, sometimes the obvious needs to be stated. Therefore, in political marketing, the tip is to invest in transparency, basing political campaigns on truthful information. After all, voters seek representatives who are trustworthy, ethical, and committed to the truth.
2. Be careful when dealing with sensitive topics
Indeed, candidates can't avoid the dreaded sensitive topics in their political marketing campaigns. However, it's important to be careful and pay close attention when addressing topics that are sensitive to the public. While these topics are essential in the campaign, it's important to understand the best way to approach them. After all, as we know, politicians are elected to represent the people, and this automatically makes them defenders of their interests. However, one individual's interests don't always align with another's, and that's when it's important to sound the alarm.
In a political marketing campaign, it's impossible to avoid sensitive topics, but the key is in the approach. Unlike other topics, such as public transportation or even unfinished construction projects, when discussing sensitive issues like hunger, unemployment, and violence, it's essential for the candidate to be sensitive. In these cases, it's important to be careful with the words, the terms used, and even the space given to these issues.
3. Enhance the candidate's image
It's common to see political marketing campaigns that devalue opponents when they should simply be promoting the candidate themselves. While this is a very popular strategy, it's not always the most appropriate. Therefore, political marketing should be based on building a positive image of the candidate, highlighting their qualities and strengths.
4. Be aware of electoral legislation
A very important consideration when planning a political marketing campaign is electoral legislation. After all, there are rules that must be followed to ensure a candidacy isn't derailed. As in other areas, politics has well-defined restrictions and obligations, and these must be considered when developing strategies. In fact, when a candidate violates any rule, they can be punished with fines or even disqualification.
5. Know your target audience
Understanding who potential voters are, what their interests, concerns, and needs are, is essential to effectively directing a candidate's message and campaign strategies.
6. Define your Main Message
Identify the key themes and messages you want to communicate during the campaign, based on the candidate you're running. Focus on issues relevant to your target audience and highlight your proposals and commitments.
7. Develop a Strong Brand Identity
Create a cohesive visual and verbal identity for your campaign, including a logo, colors, slogan, and tone of voice. This will help your candidacy stand out and make it easily recognizable to voters.
8. Use Multiple Communication Channels
Explore a variety of communication channels, such as social media, email marketing, radio and TV advertising, flyers, posters, and public events. Adapting your message to different platforms will increase the visibility and reach of the candidate you're working with.
9. Invest in Social Media Strategies
Social media plays a crucial role in modern political campaigns. Use platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to connect with your candidate's voters, share relevant content, and mobilize supporters.
10. Produce Quality Content
Produce relevant, interesting, and informative content that resonates with the candidate's target audience. This could include videos, articles, infographics, interviews, and testimonials from supporters.
11. Promote Transparency and Honesty
Build trust with voters by developing communicative campaigns that showcase the candidate's transparency and honesty. Avoid making or promoting empty promises and manipulating the truth. And be prepared to address sensitive issues openly and honestly.
12. Engage with Voters
Establish a two-way dialogue with voters throughout your campaigns, always conveying the idea that the candidate is listening to their concerns, answering their questions, and interacting with them actively and respectfully.
13. Mobilize Supporters
Mobilize a strong base of supporters and volunteers to help spread the message, organize events, and mobilize voters.
14. Evaluate and Adjust Your Strategy
Monitor the performance of your political marketing activities and be prepared to adjust your strategy based on results. Learn from successes and failures and adapt to changes in the political landscape and voter preferences.
Next, we'll talk more about what can and cannot be done in election campaigns.
Good practices in political marketing and electoral regulations
As we know, ensuring ethics during a political campaign is essential to establishing voter trust. Therefore, adopting best practices is more than a strategy; it's a necessity. And, in this sense, we're talking about both maintaining a transparent stance, sharing accurate and relevant information, and respecting local and national electoral regulations.
Therefore, candidates and their political marketing teams need to understand the restrictions on funding, advertising, and the use of personal data to avoid legal issues and ensure a fair and equitable campaign. In the digital age, for example, ethics in data collection is a sensitive and crucial issue. After all, when using electoral information, politicians must obtain consent and strictly adhere to data protection laws.
In addition to complying with legal requirements, they demonstrate a genuine commitment to voter privacy. By following good electoral practices and regulations, politicians strengthen their campaigns and contribute to building a more transparent and accountable democracy.
2024 election campaigns: pay attention to the rules and exercise good political marketing
The rules for election campaigns are very clear and impose a series of restrictions and obligations on candidates. For example, it's forbidden to solicit votes or even disclose your candidacy number before the official start of the campaign. But there are many other details that candidates and their political marketing teams need to be aware of.
First, candidates must carefully review the Election Law (Law No. 9.504/1997) and TSE Resolution No. 23.610/2019. As we've seen, early campaigning is prohibited, resulting in fines ranging from R$5.000,00 to R$25.000,00 for candidates and even for those responsible for publicity. In fact, the fine can be equivalent to the cost of the campaign if it exceeds R$25.000,00.
According to the electoral calendar, political advertising can only begin on August 16, 2024. Therefore, as explained in TSE Resolution No. 23.610/2019, this marks a milestone for candidates for political office to begin their campaigns on an equal footing. Therefore, any type of advertising or demonstration requesting votes may be considered an irregular act, punishable by a fine.
Furthermore, it's important to know that electoral advertising on both radio and television is restricted to free airtime. In other words, the law on political marketing prohibits any paid advertising. If this occurs, the candidate, political party, federation, and coalition are legally liable for the content.
When it comes to online advertising, political marketing must pay attention to some specific details. For example, according to the 2022 electoral advertising rules, the legislation authorizes electoral advertising on blogs, websites, and social media pages of candidates, political parties, coalitions, or federations. However, for this to occur, their addresses must be disclosed to the Electoral Court.
However, it's important to note that any type of paid electoral advertising is prohibited online. The only exception is content boosting, which must be clearly identified and contracted exclusively by candidates, parties, coalitions, and party federations, or their legal representatives. All this information is available on the TSE website. Therefore, paid electoral advertising online must be identified wherever it is posted. And, please note: boosting content by supporters is prohibited.
Is messaging allowed?
Yes, according to the resolution, sending electronic messages to voters who have voluntarily registered to receive them is permitted. However, the senders of the messages must identify themselves. Furthermore, it is essential that all LGPD rules are followed. As usual, messages must clearly state how to unsubscribe.
However, even if sending messages is authorized, telemarketing and mass mailing are prohibited. This is because legislation prohibits this type of advertising without the recipient's prior consent. And be careful: besides being prohibited, this type of mailing can be sanctioned as an abuse of economic power and electoral propaganda. In such cases, fines can reach R$30.000,00.
Regarding online advertising, the law on political marketing guarantees the right of reply. Therefore, abuses can be punished with fines. The Electoral Court can also order the removal of abusive content.
Pay attention to the rules!
Showmícios: Both in-person and online events are prohibited. The only exception is shows and events specifically designed to raise funds for the campaign, without soliciting votes. However, this prohibition does not extend to candidates from the artistic profession, such as singers, actresses, actors, and presenters. These professionals, in turn, can carry out their normal activities during the election period, as long as they do not appear on radio or TV programs and do not use their events to promote their candidacy.
Outdoor advertising: Legislation prohibits the use of billboards for electoral advertising. Violations can result in fines of up to R$15.000,00.
In this link it is possible to access the resolution in full.
As we can see, the 2024 elections require strategies that combine political marketing with the correct and appropriate use of available tools. Furthermore, it's essential that candidates reaffirm their commitment to ethics and transparency.
Political Marketing: Candidate, are you up to date with the strategies?
Yes, it is essential that the candidate is aware of the political marketing strategies being used in their campaign.
While the candidate may have a team of marketing professionals and political consultants to assist in developing and executing strategies, the candidate must be involved in the process and understand the key approaches being adopted.
Here are some reasons why it's important for candidates to be aware of political marketing strategies:
- Alignment with Message and Values: The candidate is the central figure of the campaign and must be informed at every stage. This ensures that marketing strategies are aligned with their message and political values. They need to understand what is being communicated on their behalf and ensure that it accurately represents their positions and commitments.
- Informed Decision Making: By understanding political marketing strategies, candidates are better prepared to make informed decisions about campaign direction. This includes budgeting, resource allocation, communication platform selection, and response to unforeseen circumstances.
- Voter Engagement: Voters expect a high level of authenticity and transparency from candidates. By staying on top of marketing strategies, candidates can engage more effectively with voters by answering questions, participating in debates, and interacting on social media.
- Emergency Response: During a political campaign, unforeseen situations may arise that require a quick and effective response. The candidate must be aware of crisis strategies and prepared to handle these situations appropriately.
- Representation of Public Image: As a public figure, the candidate is the face of the campaign and the political message. It's important for them to understand how their image is being shaped and represented in marketing strategies, ensuring an accurate and authentic representation of their political identity.
Now that you understand how important political digital marketing is for good results, it's time to take the first step.
Assess your needs in advance and rely on a reliable digital marketing agency.
Contact us with Kaizen.
