From pier to pixel: campaign for Kerala local body elections gets digital makeover

Not many visitors were there on the Kozhikode beach on Wednesday morning when N.P. Soufiya, one of the women candidates contesting in the upcoming local body elections, made her entry with a professional photographer. Her plan was to capture some attractive campaign photographs reflecting the true essence of the city. The old pier and some of the city’s famous marinated delicacies naturally found their way into the frames during the two-hour session, which will be featured soon on her social media accounts.

“We have finished only the photoshoot part. Videos will have to be taken separately for reels in the days to come,” says Ms. Soufiya, an active social media user who is now preparing for her third innings as councillor representing the Vellayil ward of the Kozhikode Corporation. She reveals that a social media manager is also with her for professional assistance.

Ms. Soufiya’s excitement reflects a visible loud new trend sweeping across Kerala’s local body election scene: a social media-driven campaign era exploring creativity, digital storytelling, and artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Unlike the glitz and grandeur of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, this year’s local polls are witnessing cost-effective yet tech-savvy campaigning designed by social media strategists and professional crew.

Professional teams

“In many areas, the youth wings of political parties are taking the lead under professional teams,” says a Kozhikode-based social media strategist working with multiple candidates. He says AI-generated content, especially recreations of old mic announcements, is giving the campaigns a classic touch with modern facelift.

Among the latest viral sensations is a campaign video from Malappuram featuring an AI-generated Lionel Messi. Crafted for K. P. Salim, a candidate in the Othukkungal panchayat, this video has emerged as a creative piece with sufficient elements of troll against the rival candidates, says campaign monitors. “That video has all the elements to attract the voters,” says T. Ashraf, a Kozhikode-based social media analyst.

Social media campaigners say that apart from content creation, a strategy to increase the reach even by employing paid boosting options are under discussions. Sources say online strategies to challenge the opponents are equally a priority area.

“There is huge demand for the creation of professional social media pages and support pages for candidates. Now all are conscious of uploading quality content,” says V. Sandeep, a designer. He says youth with active profiles and reel creators are part of such campaigns with plans for scheduled live sessions on Facebook and Instagram.

A woman social media strategist from Malappuram who is associated with the campaigns of some high profile candidates across the State says that many have been busy with setting a strong social media presence for months. Now such candidates are far ahead, she adds.