Liberals’ Facebook ad spend dwarfs all other parties and candidates combined
An analysis of Tasmanian political parties’ Facebook advertising strategies has revealed a runaway leader as the biggest spender.
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THE Liberal Party is spending almost double the amount on state election advertising through social media giant Facebook than the Opposition parties combined.
Insights from the Tasmanian Liberals’ page estimates the party has splashed close to $30,000 on the adverts in the past seven days.
Most of the ads — which have so far cost the party $29,163 — feature an image or video of Premier Peter Gutwein and the Liberals’ campaign slogan of “securing Tasmania’s future”.
Two other ads, which are now inactive, take aim at Labor and specifically the party’s health spokesman over its health policies.
One features a photo of Dr Bastian Seidel while the other has a cartoon likeness of him.
Others reference media reports on issues such as Labor preselection issues, and Liberal funding pledges made to date.
The election cash splash over the past week forms 76 per cent of the Liberals’ total spend on political advertising on Facebook since August last year.
Meanwhile, Labor has spent $13,571 on adverts on the platform in the past week, with most of them focused on Tasmania’s strained health system.
They feature pictures of ramped ambulances at the Royal Hobart Hospital and an image of a scalpel with a claim the Liberals had significantly cut funding to the sector.
Another shows an illustrative chart that maps the increasing elective surgery waiting list, which is now at a record level.
And while Labor has not been as prolific in Facebook paid advertising during the election campaign, they have spent more than $20,000 since August, excluding the past week.
The Greens have spent a total of $3193 on three adverts in the past week and have published only four for the entire month.
Independent candidates for Clark Kristie Johnston and Sue Hickey have spent $1447 and $286 on Facebook advertising, respectively.
Metro slams brakes on Brown’s political bus ad
METRO Tasmania has admitted advertisements for The Bob Brown Foundation plastered on its city buses slipped through the cracks.
Metro has a contract with Go Transit Media Group to book its bus advertising, a Metro spokesman said.
“Under the contract, advertisements booked must not ‘ … represent, portray or promote … a political campaign, candidate, party or cause’,” the spokesman said.
The BBF lodged an online enquiry with Go Transit on March 29, with the advertising company ensuring the advertising would not be promoting a political party or cause.
“(This) led to the BBF’s to change its wording from ‘Green your vote or be part of the problem’ to ‘Green your voice or be part of the problem’,” the Metro spokesman said.
“Go Transit took the view that it was BBF’s intent to convey a general environmental message rather than a political one.
“The ‘Authorised by’ reference was overlooked by Go Transit in the final proofing as an indication of the political nature of the advertisement.
“Go Transit installed the advertisement on 15 April without consulting Metro as it was initially satisfied that the advertising met contract conditions.
The spokesman said upon observing the advertisement, Metro requested Go Transit remove it
immediately.
“Go Transit agreed that the advertisement was non-compliant, and on 27 April removed it and refunded the BBF the remaining campaign amount.”
INITIAL:
BOB Brown Foundation ads that were approved and run on buses for the last two weeks have been pulled three days out from the state election.
The advertisements were displayed on the outside of Metro Tasmania buses and read “green your voice, or be part of the problem” alongside images of both pristine and destroyed forests.
Dr Bob Brown was “amazed” to learn the previously approved ads were no longer displayed.
“Whoever caused the change and claims the ads break some rules has made a mess of it because they have run for the last fortnight,” he said.
“We were running the ads for another two weeks into May but now that won’t happen and we will be refunded.”
Dr Brown described the turn of events as “strange”.
The Foundation’s campaign manager Jenny Weber said the team would conduct a freedom of information search to determine whether or not the government played a hand in removing the ads.
Other Bob Brown Foundation ads on social media and other channels read “green your vote”, but the Metro bus version changed used the word “voice” in place of “vote”.
Metro Tasmania’s advertising is booked by Go Transit media group.
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