Election campaigns and communication: how do voters inform themselves?

In the context of the 2024 Austrian parliamentary elections, students in the master's program in Digital Marketing conducted a survey on the perception and effect of political election advertising as part of a practical project. The aim of the study was to find out which communication channels were used by voters and perceived as particularly influential.

REPRESENTATIVE ONLINE SURVEY WITH 245 PARTICIPANTS 

The survey was conducted as a quantitative online survey with a total of 245 valid participants. In order to achieve a sample that was as balanced and diverse as possible, a quota sampling method was used, taking particular account of age and gender. The survey period extended from the end of November to the end of December 2020, i.e. after the decisive phases of the election campaign.

CONVENTIONAL MEDIA STILL PLAY A LEADING ROLE 

The results show that traditional media continue to play a central role in election campaigns. In particular, billboards (93%), print media (49%) and television (44%) were mentioned as the most important sources of information. Billboards were said to be effective primarily because of their visual design, while print media often focused on emotional topics and scandals. TV scored points for its reach and emotional impact.

Social media was mentioned as a source of information by 27% of respondents, with Instagram and Facebook being mentioned most frequently. Social platforms played a more important role among younger target groups in particular. Regular interaction with political content on social media could even influence voting behavior.

SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL ON YOUNGER GENERATIONS' VOTING BEHAVIOR

Differences in media perception were also evident when broken down by age group: younger respondents were more likely to use digital channels such as social media and online banners, while older people relied more heavily on traditional media such as television, radio and print. The survey did not explicitly ask respondents to differentiate by political preference.

At 83.67%, the respondents stated that they were most likely to perceive election advertising offline – only 16.33% online. This underlines the continued relevance of classic advertising formats in the political communication mix.

A direct comparison with previous national council elections was not systematically examined as part of the project. However, the results reflect the continued high importance of traditional media, while digital platforms are gaining importance, especially among younger target groups.

In particular, billboards (93%) and TV ads (44%) have a strong impact. The influence of social media, especially Instagram and Facebook, is becoming increasingly important among the younger generation.

The project not only enabled students to conduct practical research in the field of political communication, but also to gain in-depth experience in survey design, data collection and analysis. The insights gained provide valuable insights for optimizing future election campaign strategies.

Links:

• Digital Marketing | ft

This article was written by students in the full-time Master's program in Digital Marketing as part of their practical project.