How Political Parties Can Use Audience Segmentation, Data and the Web to Target Dishonest Ads to Voters

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Political parties are always looking for ways to win more votes and influence public opinion. One of the strategies they use is audience segmentation, which is a marketing technique that identifies and targets subgroups within an existing audience based on their common traits or needs¹². By using audience segmentation, political parties can tailor their messages and campaigns to appeal to specific voter groups and address their concerns.


However, audience segmentation can also be used for unethical purposes, such as spreading dishonest ads that mislead or manipulate voters. Dishonest ads are those that are indecent, dishonest or untruthful³, such as making false claims, omitting important facts, using deceptive images or videos, or impersonating other sources. These ads can have a negative impact on democracy and trust in politics.

How do political parties use audience segmentation, data and the web to target dishonest ads to voters? Here are some of the ways:

- They collect data about voters from various sources, such as social media platforms, online surveys, voter registration records, consumer databases and third-party providers⁴⁶. They use this data to create detailed profiles of voters based on their demographics, preferences, behaviors and opinions.

- They use algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze this data and segment voters into different groups based on their characteristics and interests⁴⁶. They also use AI to predict how voters will react to different messages and issues.

- They design dishonest ads that target specific voter segments based on their profiles and predictions³⁷. They use techniques such as emotional appeals, fear-mongering, personal attacks or selective evidence to sway voters' opinions or actions.

- They distribute these ads through various online channels, such as social media platforms (e.g., Facebook), websites (e.g., Google), email newsletters or text messages³⁷. They use these channels because they can reach a large number of people quickly and cheaply. They also use these channels because they have less regulation and oversight than traditional media outlets (e.g., TV).

- They monitor the performance of these ads using metrics such as impressions (how many times an ad is seen), clicks (how many times an ad is clicked), conversions (how many times an ad leads to a desired action) or engagement (how many times an ad generates likes, comments or shares)⁴. They use this feedback to optimize their ads further.

What can be done to prevent political parties from using audience segmentation,

data and the web to target dishonest ads to voters? Here are some possible solutions:

- The government should create a new regulator that oversees political advertising

and enforces standards of decency, honesty and truthfulness³. The regulator should have

the power to investigate complaints, issue sanctions or remove offending ads.

- The media platforms should implement more transparency measures that disclose

the source, funding and targeting of political ads³⁷. The platforms should also provide more tools for users

to report suspicious ads or opt out of receiving them.

- The civil society organizations should educate voters about how political parties use audience segmentation, data and the web to target dishonest ads and how they can spot them[^3^. The organizations should also promote fact-checking initiatives that verify the accuracy of political claims and expose misinformation.

- The voters should be more critical and vigilant when consuming political information online. They should check multiple sources, verify facts, question motives, and seek diverse perspectives before forming opinions or making decisions.

Audience segmentation, data and the web can be powerful tools for political parties to communicate with voters effectively. However, they can also be abused for spreading dishonest ads that undermine democracy. Therefore, it is important for all stakeholders - government, media platforms, civil society organizations and voters - to work together to ensure that political advertising is fair, accurate and respectful.


Source: Conversation with Bing, 20/02/2023(1) What is Audience Segmentation & Why it is Essential | ManyChat. https://manychat.com/blog/audience-segmentation/ Accessed 20/02/2023.

(2) What is Audience Segmentation in Marketing? | Mailchimp. https://mailchimp.com/marketing-glossary/audience-segmentation/ Accessed 20/02/2023.

(3) Audience segmentation – the Holy Grail for local government .... https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/leadership-workforce-and-communications/comms-hub-communications-support/audience Accessed 20/02/2023.

(4) Political Parties: Five Concrete Steps To Put The Five Part Framework .... https://www.tectonica.co/political-parties-five-part-framework Accessed 20/02/2023.

(5) How political parties can use AI into their political campaigns. https://aapoon.com/political/how-political-parties-can-use-ai-into-their-political-campaigns/ Accessed 20/02/2023.

(6) Investigation finds ‘88% of Tory ads misleading compared to 0 ... - Metro. https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/10/investigation-finds-88-tory-ads-misleading-compared-0-labour-11651802/ Accessed 20/02/2023.

(7) Marketing Segmentation and Political Marketing - ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Declan-Bannon/publication/228539764_Marketing_segmentation_and_political_marketing/links/5b44925e458515b4f65f63a2/Marketing-segmentation-and-political-marketing Accessed 20/02/2023.

(8) General election 2019: Ads are 'indecent, dishonest and untruthful'. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-50726500?intlink_from_url=&link_location=live-reporting-story Accessed 20/02/2023.

(9) General election 2019: Ads are 'indecent, dishonest and untruthful'. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50726500 Accessed 20/02/2023.

(10) General election 2019: Ads are 'indecent, dishonest and untruthful'. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-50726500 Accessed 20/02/2023.

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