Now that the election campaign is over and Canadians find themselves once again with a Liberal minority government, and very similar to that of 2019, what should we take away from the political communication strategies employed by political parties in 2021? While the Liberal Party had opted in 2015 and 2019 for a positive campaign, this approach was quickly abandoned this time and the use of strategies for fear of the consequences of the election of a Conservative government was part of the process. message from the liberals.
The attacks were also favored in order to delegitimize the adversaries and thus promote the Liberals’ record. In social media and in campaign communication, the Conservative Party has notably opposed the achievements of its leader, Erin O’Toole, when he was part of the Canadian Armed Forces in the youthful escapades of Justin trudeau (including photos of Trudeau displaying a brownface and a blackface). the New Democratic Party has also constantly attacked Justin Trudeau’s record, particularly in economic and environmental terms, as well as that of the Conservatives in order to position himself as a viable option for voters.
Finally, the practice of dividing the population by emphasizing controversial subjects – the introduction of a vaccination passport, for example – was also popular during the 36 days of this short election campaign.
These three major strategies, however, had the effect of giving the campaign a very negative tone. As several researchers demonstrate, this has certainly fueled political cynicism among the population.
The campaign was also marked by innovative uses of social media platforms. It is the leader of the NDP who marked the imagination of the population with his use of the TikTok platform to publish his messages. This allowed him to reach journalists inexpensively in a context where election advertising in traditional media is very expensive. It also earned him mockery from his opponents and journalists who did not see the relevance of using such a platform for political communication purposes. However, it is important to note that very little is yet known about the real effects of these platforms on political participation.
Social media and 24/7 information make long-term prediction very difficult for political parties. The flexibility of these communication channels allows them to create advertisements quickly and adapt to electoral challenges. They also make it possible to micro-target and try to reach voters according to their interests and possible affinities with political parties and their platforms, often in a very precise way.
Use of privacy and the past
Finally, another element deserves to be mentioned: that of recourse to the privacy of leaders in order to build their leadership. All the chefs without exception have relied on their personal lives to show their accessible, human and reliable side. The men spoke of being fathers, or in the process of being fathers. Jagmeet Singh, wheras’Annamie Paul spoke of his siblings to ground his political observations in reality. In any case, this recourse to the privacy of party leaders for political communication purposes makes it possible to create a link with the voters and also to show their humanity and to embody their policies. The leaders then appeared more accessible and closer to the reality of the voters.
When the campaign was launched, Justin Trudeau had difficulty clearly explaining the real reasons behind the call for these elections in the midst of a pandemic. He was unable to change the narrative about the relevance of this election campaign. This theme followed him throughout the campaign. Liberal strategists certainly did not foresee that this narrative was going to be so popular throughout the campaign. They also had not seen the popularity of Erin O’Toole coming, nor the rallies of opponents of vaccination. These elements disrupted the Liberals’ campaign plan and constantly placed them in a communication position where they had to justify themselves. It is more difficult to offer positive communication when such matters steal the show and force the leader, and his candidates, to adapt to events that can undermine the coherence of their electoral message. The electoral results also brought this framework back: we find ourselves at the same point.
Tone and branding
Another element of political communication that deserves to be highlighted is the borrowing of the campaign strategies employed by Justin Trudeau in 2015 by the Erin O’Toole team. The “sunny ways” embodied by a positive and conciliatory tone, calls for positivism and rallying of the population and a desire not to divide, as well as a call for teamwork, all of this was used by the chef conservative throughout the campaign. It then emerged as a moderate and positive alternative to the Liberals.
Better still, the fact of playing on key themes, namely having a plan, wanting to rebuild Canada, respecting the fields of jurisdiction of the provinces and working with them, certainly allowed the Conservative leader to project a leadership distinct from that of the Harper years. . O’Toole appeared more centrist, promising a bright future, a recovery plan and ethical government. Despite this, he failed to convince the public of the need to bring him to power and show the door to Justin Trudeau’s Liberals.
In short, it was a short campaign, but rich in political communication strategies. As researchers talk about a permanent campaign, it will be interesting to see what strategies leaders adopt in the coming years to keep the attention of the population and build their popularity in view of the next election.
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