e-Campaign targeting floating voters –NPP

The NPP says its e-campaign is targeting the critical minds that are constantly on social media and cannot be reached through conventional campaign means. Nana Addo on Sunday launched his e-campaign to interact with the youth and other electorates via the e-platform– Google plus, Twitter, Facebook, also a website and YouTube for his videos. But many have criticized this move in a country where internet connectivity is frustratingly slow and non-existent in the rural areas.

Nonetheless, Anthony Karbo, the party's Youth Organiser says the target of the e-campaign is the elite and not the rural folks. “Conservative analysis has it that over 1.4 million Ghanaians are latched on to the social media, many of those are within the age bracket of 18 and 44 years. And so if you are any serious strategist who is looking out to disseminate your message or to get people to closely interact with you, you will certainly latch onto that platform"

The NPP's e-campaign the party says is to match with current trends and to push its message to those who otherwise are unreachable through traditional or conventional means of campaigning. As much as the party wishes to inform, it also hopes to amass some votes from there through the close interactions with floating voters.

Reacting to critics, Anthony Karbo said the e-campaign is not to suggest that the NPP is running its campaign on the internet. Instead, it is a way of compartmentalizing the campaign so as to reach all electorates.

A Blogger, Ato Ulzen – Appiah lauded the initiative but cautioned the party against using the platform for endorsements. According to him, any votes at all from social media platforms would be only 10% of the over 12million voters. Despite the instantaneous interaction social media offers, Mr. Appiah said he will not vote because a particular issue was discussed on social media platform. But he conceded it is a good platform to drive home issues accompanied with insightful explanations, which will help influential floating voters on the internet to make up their minds.

Nana Addo so far has been to 820 communities across the country with his traditional door to door campaign christened “Tour of Hope”. Though that is still on the table, he will spend two and half hours every day with his internet fans. The e-campaign the NPP says is an important move which buttresses their economic transformational agenda since that will be backed by technology. The innovation will be devoid of foul language – but rather would aim at engaging in a robust debate that will sell and defend the NPP's message. Anthony Karbo said the party will concede on issues where necessary and learn from the feedback they will receive.