In June 2016, Great Britain was suddenly no longer part of the European Union. 51.89% of the voting public had opted for the country’s exit, which led to the now infamous “Brexit.”
Quite ironically, 58% of voters wanted Britain to remain in the union just nine months prior. Further studies, however, have noted that the sudden shift in sentiment was due to a targeted marketing campaign is done through social media.Social media now holds a great influence in our lives and has become the primary source of information, ahead of the traditional means such as television, radio, and print. In fact, it is also the medium that is considered to be one of the catalysts for the victory of US president Donald Trump, whose camp made use of Facebook to deliver his policy proposals.
A similar treatment was done with the Brexit campaign, and what was essentially done was the deep analyses of each user and their preferences, which included their political inclinations. Once that was completed, Brexit advocates were now able to create content that mostly appeals to their audiences’ fears, as well as amplifying their opponents’ weaknesses.
These materials are published across the board, through the various digital platforms available. From there, a call centre based out of Bristol monitors all engagements and tweaks each campaign if necessary, for it to be more effective.
Social media is indeed a major tool that is used today, and its power and reach can be seen through such efforts such as the Brexit campaign.
Feel free to share your own thoughts in the comments section :)
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