The social election: what we learned
A few weeks ago I was asked to contribute a weekly column discussing how social media permeated the Federal Election. Now the outcome is decided and voters have spoken, it feels fitting to share a quick recap of what we saw, what we’ve learned, and how social media will continue to evolve in the Australian political reality.
Firstly, I had read an article a few months back talking about the impact of Google’s “doodles” (you know, the cutesy drawings that Google overlays on their logo to acknowledge and/or commemorate the relevance of key historical events) on popular culture. (If you are interested, you can find all of them here.) According to this article, it turns out that people’s ability to recall a historical person, place, or thing was significantly higher if that thing had been “doodled.” Well, this election definitely sparked Google’s interest as the internet giant not only created a custom doodle on the 7th to mark the election, but for the first time ever they also set up an online hub for nearly real-time news. Additionally, they created a tailored YouTube index that pulled content from a whole host of courses to provide political coverage.
Second, this was certainly the election of memorable hashtags. Sure #AusPol & #AusVotes dominated the twittersphere and were undoubtedly the most frequently leveraged ways to group tweets into conversations, but there was no shortage of other Internet memes and their ability to trend quickly. I personally got a kick out of the #suppository tag that quickly trended when Tony Abbott misspoke and said ‘suppository of all knowledge.’ But it didn’t stop there as he managed to snafu again as “sexappeal” went viral quickly after another off the cuff remark linking female Liberal candidates with youth, feistiness, and sex appeal.
Thirdly, in what seems to have been a case of too little, too late, the Labor Party’s use of YouTube is something of note. In spite of the fact that “Tony’s Internet” wasn’t run on the official channel, (it was run on the ‘Reality Check’ subdomain of Labor’s main website) the video was viewed nearly 985,000 times and poked fun at Abbott’s proposed National Broadband Network efforts. The video went viral as its mockumentay style was quite comical. Scoring again in this arena, Labor did an absolutely fantastic job promoting this video that showcased Kevin Rudd’s response to a question from Christian pastor Matt Prater on ABC's Q&A. The view was seen about 2.75 million times within a week. I said too little too late as views on YouTube don’t necessarily mean actual votes in the voting booth.
Fourth, I want to take a moment to shout out yet another site that I really enjoyed in the final days leading up to the vote. DontbeaF*#$ingidiot.com (the real URL can be found here and I warn you in advance that the site may not be work appropriate) is a beautiful example of how real people can create real content that goes viral online. Granted, the site’s creator, Jesse Richardson is a digital creative in the advertising industry who thinks about how to do things like this on a daily basis. But his simple site touched a nerve among the voting public. Not only did it amass incredible traffic as explained here, but quickly showed how a single individual could creatively spark conversation quickly.
Lastly, and certainly most crudely, it seems that this election simply reinforced something that we’ve all known for years: that the contest basically boils down to a glorified popularity contest. And in the digital age, that really means he with the most Facebook friends (i.e. “Likes”) wins. Following what seems to have become an unwritten rule of the American political system, the outcome of the election between Tony Abbott and Kevin Rudd could have been determined without a single vote being cast. Just like Barack Obama had more “Likes” than John McCain the first time around, and more than Mitt Romney more recently, Abbott was trouncing Rudd on Facebook. That doesn’t always hold true … but I’ve yet to see a recent example where that isn’t the way things have gone. And the controversy as to whether all those “Likes” were real or purchased seems to have now died down completely.
A visit to Tony Abbott’s Facebook page today greets all visitors with a “Thank You” and a promise that he’s planning to work for all Australians. We’ll all have to wait and see how well he keeps his promise, but I can assure you that social media will help to hold him accountable and remind him of his pledges to the nation.
Yianni Konstantopoulos is group managing director of Social@Ogilvy.
Please login with linkedin to comment
Latest News
Sydney Comedy Festival: Taking The City & Social Media By Storm
Sydney Comedy Festival 2024 is live and ready to rumble, showing the best of international and homegrown talent at a host of venues around town. As usual, it’s hot on the heels of its big sister, the giant that is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, picking up some acts as they continue on their own […]
Global Marketers Descend For AANA’s RESET For Growth
The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has announced the final epic lineup of local and global marketing powerhouses for RESET for Growth 2024. Lead image: Josh Faulks, chief executive officer, AANA Back in 2000, a woman with no business experience opened her first juice bar in Adelaide. The idea was brilliantly simple: make healthy […]
Is Meta’s New AI Chatbot Too Left-Wing?
Meta's chatbot accused of being left-wing after being caught wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt & listening to Billy Bragg.
TV Ratings (23/04/2024): Why Did No One Tell Angela That Farmer Wants A Wife Is Set On A Farm?
As wonderful as this headline is, let's face it, we all know an 'Angela', don't we?
PubMatic Unveils New AI Partnership To Turn Social Posts Into Ads For Any Digital Channel
Here's some nifty tech for turning social posts into ads. Assuming said posts aren't one-star character assassinations.
Intuit Mailchimp Makes A Splash With Its First Australian Brand Campaign
Ever laugh along at a gag you didn't get so as not to appear dumb? Get ready for more feigning with this new work.
GumGum’s Rob Hall: Advertisers Can No Longer “Rely On Binary Descriptions” Of Consumers
If anyone's got their finger on adtech's pulse, it's Rob Hall. He also avoids using the good paper in the office printer
Mastercard Nabs Florencia Aimo From Marriott International
Marriott International's Florencia Aimo jumps from the hotel business to the exploitative credit card one.
Bastion Agency Appoints Cheuk Chiang As New ANZ CEO
Cheuk Chiang takes the reins over at Bastion Agency. But not the rains down in Africa.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Major Sponsorship Wins After A Disappointing Week In Sport
B&T continuing our deep dive into local sport sponsorships & that's despite not a single offer of a free ticket as yet.
Macca’s Marketing Director, Samantha McLeod On Big Mac Chant: “What Was Once Old Is Now Cool Again”
Macca's using the power of nostalgia in latest Big Mac campaign. Well, only for those who've ever eaten one sober.
World Premiere Of Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line To Open Sydney Film Festival 2024
Oil's biopic to open Sydney Film Festival. Here's hoping Molly Meldrum will take his pants down at the premiere.
Entries Are Now Open For The 2024 Brandies, IntelligenceBank’s Annual Brand Marketing Awards
The Brandies are, of course, a prestigious marketing gong and not the mystery tipple favoured by nannas everywhere.
The Fred Hollows Foundation Appoints Ardent For PR
Yes, we all like to have a joke at PR's expense. But sometimes it does important work, like this.
AI, eCommerce & Marketing Specialists Are In Increased Demand By Businesses, New Data From Fiverr Shows
Has your philosophy & anthropology degree left you with nothing but a huge HECS debt? Here's what you should've studied.
Perth’s First 3D Anamorphic Billboard Arrives Courtesy Of oOh!media
Do you love a buzzword? Now you can add anamorphic to the list as it relates to billboards, not a colleague's ears.
MasterChef Australia & Crown Resorts Launch Unique Dining Experience With ALUMNI
A pop-up restaurant staffed by MasterChef contestants! That's fine dining prices for first-year apprentice chef cuisine!
Amanda Laing Announces Resignation From Foxtel Group
Foxtel's chief commercial & content officer heads for the exits. Read nice things the bosses said about her right here.
The Lost Letters From Our Diggers: News Corp Unveils ANZAC Day Special
It's nice when brands respectfully acknowledge ANZAC Day.
Howatson+Company Acquires Akkomplice
Large indie acquires a slightly smaller indie. Much like a shark eating a tuna, just with less thrashing and blood.
Google Delays Third-Party Cookie Deprecation Again
In good news for the sale of picture library biscuit photos, Google continues to tease over the end of cookies.
Education A Low Priority For Aussies More Concerned With Cost Of Living Forethought Study Reveals
Study finds Aussies cutting back on education due to cost of living. Booze & Uber Eats sales remain largely unaffected.
“I’m Still The Same Person That I Was”: Rikki Stern Says “Fucc It” To Cancer Stereotypes
B&T always happy to promote the anti-cancer cause. Even brands that massively overdo it with the hot pink.
The Unapproved Climate Certification Allegedly Causing Mass Greenwashing
Are you left flummoxed in the canned tuna & free range eggs aisle? Just wait till this green certification gets up.
TV Ratings (22/04/2024): Fans Mock “Over The Top” Reaction To New MasterChef Judges
MasterChef returns for its 2024 season. B&T stands by putting peppercorns in Gravox & no one will be any the wiser.
Dentsu Restructure: Muddle, Harvey & Johnston Take Leadership Baton As Bass & Yurisich Exit
A large broom has swept through Dentsu's local ops this morning, taking with it some big names & the air con's cobwebs.
Industry Shares Trends Shaping The Industry This International Creators Day
B&T's asking adland creators to reveal their top trends. And it's not good news for your Jenny Kee cardigan collection.
Mable Extends HOYTS Sensory Screenings Partnership
Mable has extended its HOYTS sensory screening partnership. Vigorously defends its two-star Oppenheimer review.
Orphan Launches ‘They Need Our Help. We Need Yours’ For Children’s Cancer Institute
Anything to do with childhood cancers has B&T's 110% support. That said, we do ignore the red meat & alcohol warnings.
Smile Team Orthodontics & Keep Left Collaborate On Smile-Inducing Campaign
As parents would attest, given the cost of orthodontics you'd expect this campaign to be a lavish production indeed.
Opinion: How Video Calls Neglect Learning Diversity
Need an excuse to duck out of a video call this arvo? Show this to your boss.
DoubleVerify Achieves First-Of-Its-Kind Responsible AI Certification From TrustArc
DoubleVerify receives responsible AI certification. However, not its robotic vacuum that's been seen menacing the cat.
Smile For A Good Cause: The Social Media Campaign Giving Back To The Community
Are you known as the office Austin Powers? More for you teeth than shagability? Get snappy new fangs with this news.
Elon Musk Mocks Albo After ESafety Wins Court Injunction Against X
Albo's 2024 from hell continues - Rabbitohs in crisis, down in the polls and now feuding with world's richest man.
Real Estate Developer In Hot Water Over “Sexually Exploitative” OOH Campaign
Real estate agents again tops in the 'least trusted profession' polls, nudging used car salesmen & ad creatives.
Epsilon’s Shane Hanby: Post-Cookie Era Relies On “Teamwork” Between Brands, Marketers & Tech
This pro predicts more "teamwork" in a post-cookie era. Which spells bad news for the uncooperative or plain stubborn.