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In a first, the Election Commission of India has asked social networking sites to maintain a record of the expenditure incurred by political parties and candidates on advertisements. This has to be produced when the EC requests them to do so.

"The commission has sent letters to all leading social networking sites asking them to ensure that contents displayed in the ads given by political parties during the electoral process is not "unlawful or malicious or in violation of the model code of conduct," said Akshay Rout, director general, ECI, who is looking into this aspect during the 2014 polls.

All major political parties have been using social networking sites as part of their campaign strategy, particularly to woo young voters. In the recent Delhi assembly polls, the Aam Aadmi Party used Facebook and Twitter in a big way to attract attention. Similarly, BJP's NaMo campaign is very active on all such sites.

On Friday, the election commissioner of India, HS Brahma, who highlighted the need for scrutinising the social media, cited a complaint the commission had received from a Pune-based politician, who objected to the language used against a particular community on such sites.

Sources in the EC said the letter has asked social networking sites to get pre-certification from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committees at district and state levels before uploading poll-based ads. Candidates are required to provide details of their social media accounts while filing nominations.

Rout, however, admitted that monitoring contents in social media was an uphill task, but asserted that every effort would be made to maintain decorum in the campaign and ensure a level playing field.

In the letter, EC has said internet-based media will have to "actively scrutinise" political advertisement before publishing them. "In case any unlawful content comes to the notice of the election machinery, it would be removed forthwith."

The EC had, earlier, made it mandatory for parties and candidates to keep details of the expenditure incurred on advertisements in social media as that would be added to their election expenditure budget.

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Maintain record of expenditure incurred by parties, candidates on ads, Election Commission to social media

NEW DELHI: As political parties throng social networking platforms to woo voters, internet giants like Google, Facebook and Twitter are looking for their slice of an estimated Rs 500-crore digital spending pie for this Lok Sabha polls.

Out of the 814 million Indians eligible to vote in this elections, more than 200 million are estimated to have access to the internet including over 100 million active on various social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

According to digital media experts, a bulk of about 100 million first-time voters joining the electorate for upcoming Lok Sabha elections are very active on social networking sites and they are the main target of parties taking the social media route to reach out to their target audience.

Estimates suggest that out of nearly Rs 4,000-5,000 crore total advertisement and publicity budget across the parties, digital platforms may get at least Rs 400-500 crore in the run up to the polls.

With online campaigning emerging as a major tool for the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi Assembly polls last year, social media is getting greater attention of the strategists for Lok Sabha polls as well as across parties.

According to officials at digital marketing firms being used by some leading parties, judicious use of social media could turn out to be the "game changer" in some urban seats.

As per studies conducted by various parties, internally and by third-party agencies hired by them, as many as 160 constituencies out of the total 543 seats are likely be influenced by social media. Parties, including smaller regional outfits, are therefore leaving no stone unturned to get that crucial 'online swing' in their favour.

Notwithstanding traditional media outlets like on-ground political rallies and speeches, social media's word-of-mouth novelty factor is ensuring leaders are on top of the mind for online citizens.

Google India's Industry Head Gaurav Kapur said, "With over 200 million internet users in the country, internet as a medium has found its own space in the political parties' media spends. Leading national parties are actively engaging users through digital medium. Different parties are adopting different strategies and digital spending varies from 5 per cent to 10 per cent of their total advertising budgets."

Google is also seeing independent spends from political candidates to drive user engagement on their websites to create awareness about their achievements and plans for their constituencies.

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Google, Facebook, Twitter eye Rs 500-crore social media poll pie

London (PRWEB UK) 30 March 2014

The utility industry presents a complex business environment with some very specific challenges that only serve to highlight the need for utilities to improve customer experience and brand loyalty. Examples include disruptions to power/water supply caused by adverse weather conditions, and regulatory demands such as EU mandated smart meter installation in 80% of consumers homes by 2020 and Ofgems recent tariff cap announcement to improve price transparency. Furthermore, consumers now use digital media channels to communicate. The abundance of information readily available via the internet allows them to compare and switch suppliers easily and to provide instant feedback on customer service practices. It is therefore essential that utility companies fully understand this medium as it is where brand reputation can be made or broken.

SMis 3rd annual Social Media in the Utilities Sector conference will provide the ideal platform for discussion on how this digital channel can benefit customer relations, recruitment strategies and improve brand reputation which ultimately has an impact on commercial success. The two-day conference programme will feature an array of case studies from global Utility companies who have already implemented their own strategies. These include UK Power Networks, Affinity Water, Northern Powergrid, Jamaica Public Service Company Limited, Vitens, and Electricity North West among others.

Event Highlights:

Speaker Panel includes:

To view the full speaker line-up and conference programme, visit http://www.smi-online.co.uk/2014media-utilities19.asp.

Plus, don't miss the pre-conference workshop on: Growing your Sphere of Influence Online | Led by Heleana Quartey, Head of Digital UK, Lewis PR | 1st April 2014, London, UK

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Network with over 20 Utility Companies confirmed to attend Social Media in the Utilities Sector | 2nd - 3rd April 2014 ...

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