Politicians preparing for the 2027 elections must begin building their public image early and embrace data-driven digital marketing to effectively connect with an increasingly young and discerning electorate. The Managing Director of PRM Africa Marketing and Communications Limited, Mike Dada, has said.

Dada, a marketing and public relations expert, said the era when politicians relied mainly on rallies, posters, “political structures” and traditional media to reach voters was gradually fading, stressing that technology, artificial intelligence, and data analytics were changing the face of political marketing campaigns.

Speaking on the future of political marketing, Dada, who is also the Founder and Executive Producer of the All Africa Music Awards, said digital marketing had become central to modern electioneering.

“Digital marketing is no longer an “alternative” channel; it is the primary battlefield. In a world of evolving tech, digital marketing allows for micro-targeting, precision, and measurement. We can send one message to a farmer in the North and a different, tailored message to a tech enthusiast in Lagos, while maintaining the core brand essence. It provides the feedback loop that traditional media lacks. It is not the future; it is now,” he said.

According to him, political campaigns must now be built around proper assessment of the electorate, demographic and psychographic analysis, voter segmentation, and targeted communication.

He also urged politicians to treat their personal brand, records, values, and communication as components of a political brand, rather than waiting until a few months before an election to attempt to reshape their image.

Dada said political branding was more than producing attractive posters, television commercials, or social media content, adding that candidates must establish what they represent and build credibility over time.

Dada, whose company, PRM Africa, has managed 16 elections end-to-end, noted that candidates could no longer depend on repeatedly addressing the same crowds at rallies and expect to influence the wider electorate.

“Branding is not a coat of paint you slap on two months before an election.” It is a reputation built over time,” Dada said. “Define your ‘Brand Essence’ early. What do you stand for? If you wait until 2027 to tell us who you are, the opposition will tell us who you are first.”

The tech entrepreneur and lawyer said that data would also play a critical role in determining the effectiveness of political campaigns, as digital tools could help campaign organisations monitor voter sentiment and measure the impact of their messages.

“We no longer guess. We need to count the numbers for it to count. In any case, democracy is a game of numbers. Through sentiment analysis, digital footprint tracking, evaluation, consistent control, and periodic polling, we can measure the “conversion rate” of a campaign. We can see how a specific message moved a specific demographic in a specific geopolitical zone. If your marketing isn’t moving the needle in the polls or social sentiment, you know you need to pivot,” he said.

He warned, however, that digital campaigns could not replace grassroots mobilisation, stressing that online communication must be supported by on-the-ground engagement. “It is important I point out that political marketing needs to be married with push strategy, OTG – on-the-ground work – for success or for the campaign objective to be achieved,” he said.

Dada also called on governments to engage professionals in communicating their policies and programmes, arguing that implementation without effective communication could create a disconnect between government and citizens.

“Governments often treat public affairs communication as ‘propaganda’ rather than ‘engagement’. They use unqualified civil servants or ‘information officers’ to do the job of brand specialists.

“The result is a disconnect and miscommunication you see everywhere in Africa: a government is performing, but citizens feel neglected and distant.” Governments must learn that selling a policy is just as important as implementing it. Governments at all levels need to understand the necessity of investing heavily and building intangible assets such as reputation, perception, mutual understanding, and trust for the purpose of legitimacy and policy support from citizens,” Dada said.

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