Research conducted by Sky’s Online Campaign Team and Who Targets Me revealed that a significant number of Conservative candidates chose to avoid using the party’s branding in their Facebook and Instagram advertisements. Out of the 376 adverts with official branding, only 80 belonged to Conservative candidates, with 38 of them having no branding at all. This avoidance of branding was far more prevalent among Conservative candidates compared to their Labour counterparts.
Of the Conservative MPs who did include some branding, the majority only mentioned the party in the funding disclosure section, where it is a legal requirement to do so. This lack of party mention in the actual content of the adverts raises questions about the confidence that these candidates have in the Conservative brand. In contrast, all 19 Labour MPs included the party name in the written text above the advert, clearly displaying their affiliation.
Prominent Conservative figures such as Johnny Mercer, Grant Shapps, and Sir Iain Duncan Smith were among those who chose to avoid Conservative branding in their election materials. This unconventional marketing strategy extends beyond online advertisements, as Johnny Mercer even omitted Conservative branding in his election leaflets. Additionally, Andrea Jenkyns, while including Conservative branding in her leaflet, featured a picture of herself with Nigel Farage, the leader of another party, on the front page.
The decision to avoid or downplay Conservative branding in political advertisements reflects a larger trend within the party. While the majority of Conservative candidates still use party branding in their ads, a significant number seem to believe that distancing themselves from the party is beneficial. This shift in strategy may indicate a lack of confidence in the Conservative brand or an attempt to leverage the popularity of other political figures, such as Nigel Farage.
Sky’s Online Campaign Team’s analysis of political advertisements sheds light on the challenges faced by the Conservative Party in maintaining a strong brand presence. The team’s dedication to gathering, analyzing, and visualizing data provides a transparent view of the political landscape. By combining traditional reporting skills with advanced data analysis techniques, Sky News aims to provide insightful and data-driven journalism to its audience.