Blog updated and archived on June 25, 2024 (after the results came out)
The Toronto-St. Paul’s federal by-election, held on June 24, 2024, was a focal point of national attention. With the Conservative Party gaining traction in recent national polls and the Federal Liberals striving to maintain their stronghold, the stakes were high. Digital and Social Media Marketing Agency for Political Campaigns played a crucial role in helping candidates leverage digital platforms like Facebook and Instagram to connect with voters, spread their messages, and rally support.
Our analysis of the advertising spend of the leading candidates on these platforms provides insight into their campaign strategies and outreach efforts.
Ad Spending in the Last 7 Days leading up to E-Day (June 18 – 24, 2024)
Ad Spending During the Writ Period (Starting May 19, 2024)
Election Result and Analysis
The by-election resulted in a narrow victory (590 votes) for Conservative candidate Don Stewart, marking a significant political shift in the riding, which has traditionally been a Liberal stronghold. Stewart received 42.08% of the vote, while Liberal candidate Leslie Church garnered 40.49%.
This outcome is particularly notable given the extensive digital advertising efforts by both candidates. Stewart’s victory indicates that his campaign’s higher investment in digital ads, coupled with effective voter engagement strategies, may have played a pivotal role in swaying voters.
This election could significantly impact the political landscape, and understanding the digital campaign strategies is key to comprehending the broader electoral dynamics. Stay tuned for more updates and analysis as we continue to track developments in the political sphere.
Digital Strategy of the Candidates
Don Stewart (Conservative): Stewart’s digital strategy was aggressive and well-funded, outspending Leslie Church by four times. This highlights the importance of having a Digital and Social Media Marketing Agency for Political Campaigns to create effective digital ads and target voters strategically. Stewart’s ads focused almost exclusively on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and key issues such as the Carbon Tax and rising crime rates. His campaign utilized a mix of graphic assets and a popular video that received over 200,000 views on X. Both Stewart and Church benefited from ads and financial support from their respective parties’ official accounts.
Leslie Church (Liberal): Church’s digital strategy focused on promoting the Liberal government’s achievements, utilizing mostly text-based graphic assets. Her ads highlighted her connection to long-time MP Carolyn Bennett, and local councillor Josh Matlow, and showcased the government’s successes in healthcare, education, and social services. While her spending was more restrained, Church aimed to build a personal connection with voters through testimonials from local community leaders and constituents.
Interestingly, we only found traces of direct digital advertising by 2 Candidates – Leslie Church for the Liberal Party of Canada and Don Stewart for the Conservative Party of Canada. There were more than 80 candidates in the running but we didn’t find much online traction or data for the other candidates including NDP’s Amrit Parhar and Green Party of Canada’s Christian Cullis.
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