DAVP & political consultants among top advertisers on Google ahead of LS polls
While DAVP has spent close to Rs 38 cr, I-PAC and PEN have incurred an expenditure of Rs 6.3 cr and Rs 1.8 cr, respectively, in the last six months, as per Google Ads Transparency Centre data
In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) and political consultants have emerged as top advertisers on Google, leveraging the platform's extensive targeting capabilities to disseminate their messages to voters across India.
The Central Bureau of Communication (previously known as DAVP-Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity) has spent close to Rs 38.5 crore over the past six months, mostly to popularise the Modi government’s schemes ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, data obtained from Google Ads Transparency Centre reveals.
e4m has pulled out data for ad spends incurred between September 1, 2023, and March 15, 2024, just before the model code of conduct came into force. The Election Commission of India announced the dates for general elections on March 16.
Mumbai-based Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), believed to be the country’s first and largest cross-party political advocacy group, spent over Rs 6.3 crore in the last six months. Prashant Kishore and other political strategists were behind setting up this group in 2013.
Most of their ads were in Bengali and Telugu and showcased West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy, respectively. Andhra Pradesh is going for Assembly elections around the same time.
The organization had worked closely with Narendra Modi in the beginning and later worked with Nitish Kumar (JDU), Arvind Kejriwal (AAP), Mamata Banerjee (TMC), M K Stalin (DMK) and Jagan Mohan Reddy (YSR Congress) among others, according to their website.
Chennai-based Populus Empowerment Network (PEN), a socio-political research organization, spent Rs 1.8 crore in Google ad campaigns during the same period. PEN works closely with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and is believed to be owned by Stalin’s son-in-law V. Sabareesan.
Samvad, a little-known organization, also spent more than Rs 66 lakh in six months. Some of their ads were removed by Google for policy violations.
Some others put up ads on Google to showcase the success of agriculture-insurance policies.
On Tuesday, e4m reported how the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) topped the list of political advertisers in the country as far as Google advertising is concerned while the Indian National Congress (INC) lagged with a mere Rs 14 lakh expenditure on digital campaigns.
