If every single Gen Z and millennial voter cast the ballot for a specific party, the party would win without needing Gen X or the boomers.

       According to various studies, millennials, roughly born from 1981 to 1996, and Gen Z, born from 1997 to 2012, spend two to three hours on social media every day.

       Thus, probably the best way to sway the largest population segment is not through the human-intensive process of door-to-door campaigning or the money-intensive splashy advertisements. It is through the relatively cost-effective method of social media.

       According to one estimate by a local SEO company, a large-scale campaign encompassing diverse platforms, audience targeting, and high-end ad formats can incur monthly costs ranging from Rs80,000 to Rs300,000 (or higher). In contrast, on SAMA news, the prime time rate per minute is Rs75,000, according to its website. A lavish social media campaign can be run for a month against five minutes on one channel for one day.

       The savvy campaigner would know how to reach his audience cost-effectively.

       To find your constituency and location of your polling booth, SMS your NIC number (no spaces) to 8300. Once you know your constituency, visit the ECP website here for candidates.

       Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, January 29th, 2024