In April 2024, political parties in India heavily invested in Google advertisements, according to the Google Ads Transparency Centre. The Indian National Congress (INC) topped the list with an expenditure of Rs 18 crore. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) followed closely, spending Rs 14 crore. These advertisements prominently featured key figures like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and targeted audiences across different linguistic demographics.
Tamil Nadu as Prime Target
Tamil Nadu saw the highest ad spend, amounting to Rs 17 crore, making it the primary focus for political campaigns during the election period. This was significantly higher than other regions, with Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan following at Rs 6 crore and Rs 4 crore, respectively.
Additional Political Party Spending
Beyond the two major parties, other regional parties also contributed to ad spending but on a smaller scale. The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party spent close to Rs 4 crore, the Telugu Desam Party spent approximately Rs 1.5 crore, and the Biju Janata Dal invested around Rs 1.3 crore in their Google ad campaigns.
Types of Ads Used
The distribution of ad types was predominantly video, which accounted for 74.9% of the total spending. Image ads made up 25% of the expenditures, highlighting the strategic use of visual media to engage voters. A smaller portion of the budget was allocated to text-based ads, reflecting a lesser focus on text in digital campaign strategies.
