'Over Rs. 40cr': Congress outspent BJP on ads in November
In India, the top 20 political advertisers (online) for November reportedly spent Rs. 36.31 crore on 15,405 advertisements on Google Ads, while 7,901 ads worth Rs. 5.98 crore were published through Meta's platforms. According to Hindustan Times, which compared the top 20 political advertisers on Meta and Google for November, the Congress outspent the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). To recall, five states went to assembly polls in November.
Why does this story matter?
This revelation comes after the Congress suffered landslide losses in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh in the recently concluded state assembly polls. While the BJP scripted a thumping comeback in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, it also retained power in Madhya Pradesh. Meanwhile, the grand old party managed to dethrone the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to form its government in Telangana. The Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) won in Mizoram.
Ad spend distribution across platforms during November
The Congress reportedly spent nearly Rs. 14.3 crore on Google Ads alone in November, with the BJP spending only Rs. 4.16 crore on this platform. On Meta's platforms, indirect or direct advertisements for the BJP by the party, state units, and those advertising on its behalf accounted for Rs. 2.58 crore. The Congress's expenditure was Rs. 2.24 crore. Nearly 80% of the ad spend on Google, i.e., nearly Rs. 28.9 crore, was on video ads, while 20.4% was on images.
Ad spend data from Google and Meta
The majority of the online ad money spent on Meta, including Facebook and Instagram, in November was for the poll-bound Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana. In contrast, the HT report added that advertisement spending for Mizoram, another state that went to polls in November, ranked 17th on the list. It's worth noting that neither Google nor Meta requires advertisers to identify the political party they promote or advertise.
More details on Congress, BJP spending on political ads
Three of the top 20 political advertisers on Meta platforms are Congress-run Facebook pages with 1,263 ads for Rs. 2.05 crore. On the other hand, five FB pages run directly by the saffron brigade, BJP Rajasthan, BJP Chhattisgarh, BJP Madhya Pradesh, BJP Telangana, and Nahi Sahega Rajasthan, placed 3,122 ads for Rs. 1.53 crore. Interestingly, the maximum amount on Google Ads, around Rs. 2.27 crore, was reported to be spent three days before the Telangana polls on November 27.
