‘Election season is a gold mine for advertising companies’
KUWAIT CITY, April 1, (KUNA): Parliamentary elections throughout the world depend on conveying candidates’ programs and messages to the masses to garner the much-coveted approval and votes.
On April 4, 2024, Kuwaiti voters will be flocking to election polls to cast their ballot, but the question is how would candidates gain the trust of their constituents. The answer is, of course, through advertisement.
The advertising sector naturally thrives during such periods with candidates trying to find the best medium to lure voters.
Elections season is a gold mine for advertising companies due their necessary impacts on voters, head of department of economics and finance at the Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) Dr. Osama AlFalah told KUNA.
He indicated that demand for the service sector increased during grand events such as elections, which boost financial movement and provide advertisement firms with business left and right.
However, the volume of economic activity would be understandably lower due to the frequency of elections in the past three years, he pointed out, noting that business might be affected due to the advent of the holy month of Ramadan during the current election.
Speaking on the same issue, chairman of Kuwait Economic Society Mishari Al-Abduljaleel said that the services sector -- which includes advertisement, catering, and logistics -- plays a pivotal role in elections.
Through advertisement candidates can relay their messages to the masses, he affirmed, noting that from billboards to social media platforms, those eager for a seat at the National Assembly would use all tools to make sure they inform eligible voters about their campaign.
Not all services gain from election season, revealed Al-Abduljaleel, noting that print shops saw a decline in demand in favor of more modern approaches for advertisement.
Providing a similar input, Mohammad AlQattan, Secretary General of Kuwait society for small and medium-size enterprises, affirmed that election season was always positive for the services sector, especially for advertisements and media.
Despite a buzz in business this current season, numbers are no way close to the ones felt in 2020, he said, and attributed such factors to the short preparation time and lack of finances on part of some candidates.
Those who do not take advantage of the services provided by media and advertisements companies might send a signal that candidates feel they did not have a chance to win, he said.
Al-Qattan also took note that candidates did not heavily invest in inviting people to their campaign headquarters for speeches and rallies, attributing that to the timing which is Ramadan with people mostly focusing on the spirituality of the holy month.