Never has there been such anticipation and hype around the role of media in a general election. An election at a time of significant consumer discontent; an election perhaps too late in the coming; an election where social media was going to change everything. So did it? In the build up people talked of the first ‘digital election’ – in that, this was to be the first election where digital technology could redefine the rules. In the end, the debate focused mainly on social media and its impact or lack of impact in party marketing and consumer behaviour. The hype in the run up was undoubtedly partly fuelled by the social nature of Obama’s media campaign; however when forecasting that the battle would be fought in the trenches of hyperspace no one had taken into account the biggest development of the 2010 election: the TV debates.

These debates were the big news story. They gave Clegg a platform he could only have dreamed of, gave the papers their front pages, the online print sites their live coverage and social media the perfect opportunity to demonstrate its strength. Social media thrived; but in facilitation of reaction and up to the minute commentary. Most post election discussion suggests that it was consumers who used social media to best effect; rather than the parties who all wanted to appear ‘digital’, but forgot about creating a digital strategy.

The two other main features unique to this election have been the ‘Spoof’ and the use of ‘Celebrity’. All of the three parties used some element of spoof. The Lib Dems launching their election marketing with a spoof ad campaign for the ‘Labservatives’; The Conservatives invested huge budget in outdoor featuring anti-Brown posters that looked like Labour material with but with a derogatory comment on his performance to which Labour then turned on its head through the vandalise David Cameron poster initiative (which was initiated by consumers but leveraged by Labour). When it came to celebrity – everyone and their aunt was out there to pledge from Eddie Izzard and David Tennant for Labour to Michael Caine and Trevor MacDonald for The Conservatives and Colin Firth and Razorlight for The Lib Dems.

For more information on all of this, further exploration of the use, role and influence of media and a review of the trends that shaped this election, please download the full   Vizeum Trend Report Election Special