The research conducted by Sky’s Online Campaign Team and Who Targets Me revealed a concerning trend among Conservative candidates during the election period. It was found that a significant number of Conservative candidates chose to avoid using the party’s official branding in their online adverts on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Out of the 376 adverts that contained official branding, only 104 had some form of partial branding, while 41 had no branding at all. What was even more surprising was that the vast majority of adverts with no branding belonged to Conservative candidates, with only a few retaining partial branding.
One of the most alarming findings was that 73% of Conservative MPs who used partial branding only mentioned the party in the funding disclosure, where they were legally required to do so. This meant that the party was not referenced anywhere else in the text or visuals of the advert, making it difficult for viewers to identify them as Conservative candidates. In contrast, all Labour MPs mentioned the party in the written text above the advert as well as in the funding declaration. It was evident that the majority of Labour candidates made sure that their adverts were clearly associated with the party through branding.
Several prominent Conservative figures, including cabinet ministers Johnny Mercer and Grant Shapps, along with former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, were found to be avoiding Conservative branding in their campaign materials. Johnny Mercer, for example, completely omitted Conservative branding in his election leaflets, mentioning the party only in small text as part of the funding disclosure. On the other hand, Andrea Jenkyns, a former minister, did include Conservative branding in her leaflet but had a picture of herself posing with the leader of another political party, Nigel Farage, at the forefront. Such unconventional strategies raised questions about the effectiveness of traditional party branding in political campaigns.
The Unconventional Strategy
While it is important to note that the majority of Conservative candidates did use party branding in their adverts, the significant number that chose not to do so or opted for alternative strategies cannot be ignored. The reliance on party branding as a key identifier in political campaigns was being challenged by candidates who believed they were better off without it. The emergence of unconventional strategies, such as posing with leaders of other parties or completely avoiding party branding, indicated a shift in the way candidates were approaching their election campaigns.
The research conducted by Sky’s Online Campaign Team shed light on the changing landscape of political advertising and branding during election cycles. The reluctance of some Conservative candidates to use party branding in their online adverts raised questions about the effectiveness and relevance of traditional party affiliations in modern political campaigns. While the majority of candidates were still using party branding, the trend of avoiding or minimizing its use highlighted a shift in campaign strategies. The need to adapt to changing voter perceptions and preferences in the digital age was evident, as candidates explored new ways to connect with their constituents. The evolving nature of political branding and advertising required a critical analysis of the strategies employed by candidates to effectively communicate their message and garner support from the electorate.
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