Politicians, stop choosing!

In early June, exactly one year before the elections, the VRT newsroom released the news that Flemish political parties had already collectively spent more than 2.5 million euros on advertising budgets on Facebook and Instagram. Forecasts suggest those figures will rise to over 5 million euros by the end of the year.

Compared to 2022, most parties are even stepping it up a notch. We hardly find the modern politician on the street or in the pub anymore. Today, the political debate—just like many other areas of society—takes place primarily online, and more specifically on social media channels.

Does this mean that as an agency we oppose parties sharing political ideas on social media? Far from it. What we object to more is that these parties specifically target carefully selected audiences. In doing so, they often try to capitalize on prevailing social issues. For instance, the socialist party Vooruit enthusiastically picks up on topics like childcare and baby food, while the right-wing Vlaams Belang hammers home issues like the retirement age and migration.

In other words, the politician is starting to behave like a marketer, and we believe there is something fundamentally wrong with that ethically. We are bombarded with a certain vision via one-way traffic without asking for it, often without receiving more context or being able to offer a rebuttal. Furthermore, the algorithms of Facebook or Instagram help determine the frequency with which we see such messages. At the same time, it feels as if these ads just keep popping up, no matter what we try.

That is why we propose: politicians, stop targeting and let the voters decide for themselves which viewpoints they support. Forcing a vision means creating camps. And that is exactly the ideal breeding ground for tunnel vision, echo chambers, polarization, you name it.

In short, Trump and the Capitol all over again. As far as we are concerned, social targeting and public political bodies do not go hand in hand at all. An open online campaign can only benefit the voter and society.

Perhaps you are now wondering: why are brands allowed to launch ads at well-considered target audiences? Fair question. We remain convinced that political parties should serve all citizens. Without exception, without polarizing, and without trying to impose a vision of society without any chance of rebuttal.

Brands, on the other hand, provide commercial content that cannot create a direct impact on a broader social scale. Their content literally gives no voice to policymakers. Moreover, dialogue remains possible in both directions. And if targeting isn’t done correctly? Believe us: the brand in question will quickly be held accountable.