NEW DELHI: To dispel its image as being anti-computer and anti-English, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has embraced social media like Facebook and Youtube for campaigning in its run-up to the Uttar Pradesh elections.
The party has assigned teams to upload promotional videos about the party and its leadership on various social media websites on a daily basis.
SP sources said that party chief Mulayam Singh’s son Akhilesh Yadav MP is responsible for the party’s foray into social media campaigning, which is in contrast to the party’s earlier stand of being anti-computer.
“A sizeable population in Uttar Pradesh has access to the internet. To tap these voters, Akhileshji directed partymen to take the social media route to spread the party’s message. Since the attention spans of people are getting shorter, we have uploaded 25 second promotional videos about the party and party chief Mulayam Singh. In fact, the BSP, which had over five-minute long promotional videos, has also reduced the
length of its videos after watching our promotional videos,” a senior SP member said.
The SP has hired Goldmine Advertising, a Mumbai-based agency, to design its media plans. “Akhileshji had ordered a large screen to be put on his Kranti Rath, which will continuously run promotional videos as his Kranti Rath Yatra will travel to villages across the state.”
The sources said that with a large voter population comprising the youth, the party is making every effort to portray an image of being pro-technology.“Once a video is posted, it goes viral as party supporters keep on mailing it.