Consulting firms, digital creators take centre stage in election campaigns

Highlights:

• Parties, candidates hired election support teams
• Bangladesh does not yet have dedicated election campaign firms
• Services include:
  • Speechwriting
  • Tailored design language to connect emotionally with voters
  • Constituency-specific problem-solving frameworks
  • Guidance on political, social, media literacy

Third-party consulting firms, digital content creators, and social media experts have emerged as key players in campaign strategies ahead of Bangladesh's 13th national election scheduled for 12 February, as political parties and candidates increasingly adapt to modern, technology-driven campaigning.

After three largely one-sided elections, the upcoming polls are expected to be more competitive, prompting major political parties and individual candidates to seek professional support for voter outreach, messaging, and digital engagement. 

As a result, both established and newly formed consulting firms are experiencing growing demand for election-related services.

Although Bangladesh does not yet have firms dedicated exclusively to political campaigns, several large and mid-sized agencies – traditionally serving commercial brands – are now providing strategic consultancy to political actors.

Winnex Consulting is among the firms supporting individual candidates with campaign strategy and content development. Rather than working directly with political parties, the firm has focused on candidate-level engagement this election cycle.

The services include speechwriting, constituency-specific problem-solving frameworks, tailored design language to connect emotionally with voters, and guidance on political, social, and media literacy through face-to-face consultations.

Mohammad Zakaria, CEO of Winnex Consulting Ltd, told The Business Standard that strategic campaigning will become increasingly critical as Bangladesh moves toward a more democratic transition.

"As the country gradually moves toward democratic consolidation, elections at different levels will become more frequent. Winning voters' trust through carefully designed online and offline campaigns will be crucial," he said. 

"The better a campaign is structured, the higher the chances of success. This is a sector with strong potential within the domestic economy."

Zakaria added that credible, evidence-based, and culturally nuanced consultancy services could eventually be exported to neighbouring countries where elections are held regularly. 

"Globally, this is not new. In countries with vibrant democracies, professional firms play a major role in designing election strategies," he noted.

Parties turn to digital campaigning

This year, 51 political parties are contesting the election out of 59 registered parties. Formal campaigning will conclude at 7am on 10 February.

The BNP is set to hold its final election rally on 8 February at 2:00pm at the party's central office in Nayapaltan, with acting chairman Tarique Rahman scheduled to address the gathering virtually as chief guest.

Brigadier General (retd) Manzur Qader, a member of BNP's election monitoring subcommittee, told TBS that extensive campaign preparations are underway.

"In many cases, parties centrally and candidates individually have hired election support teams to assist with publicity, digital campaigns, surveys, and strategy formulation. These efforts involve substantial financial expenditure," he said.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has also taken professional support in the IT and media space. Members of the party's media team said that, alongside organisational campaigning, professional firms have been engaged to produce video documentaries and digital content for official platforms.

They added that individual candidates are independently hiring firms to produce campaign songs, poster designs, documentaries, promotional videos, and constituency-based policy papers. While the party does not centrally fund these efforts, most candidates are bearing the costs themselves.

However, several Jamaat leaders noted that a significant portion of online promotional content – particularly on Facebook – is being produced voluntarily by influencers. 

"They are not paid. They are promoting Jamaat out of personal interest, and in some cases, this has proven more effective than professionally hired firms," they said.

With third-party assistance, Jamaat also launched the "Janatar Ishtehar" platform, aimed at drafting an election manifesto directly based on public feedback.

Mahbubul Alam, head of the media subcommittee of the National Citizens' Party (NCP), told TBS that the party has launched a theme song and published its manifesto with expert assistance.

While no firm has been centrally assigned to design the party's overall election strategy, Alam said individual candidates have hired content creation teams and social media experts to manage their campaigns.

The broader campaign landscape

Election campaigning increasingly mirrors commercial brand marketing, which relies on audience research, message design, psychological resonance, and multi-platform communication. In Bangladesh's corporate sector, firms such as Quantum Consumer Solutions conduct consumer research, while agencies like Asiatic Events, Grey, and Bitopi handle visual and commercial advertising across print, digital, and television media.

Industry sources say many of these agencies are now offering similar strategic services to political parties and candidates during the election period.

In the commercial arena, multinational companies – including Unilever Bangladesh, Marico, Dabur, Grameenphone, Robi, and Banglalink – are major clients of such agencies. Political campaigning, by contrast, remains a relatively new but rapidly expanding market.

In a recent TBS article, Banglalink Chief Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Officer Taimur Rahman highlighted the communication-intensive nature of elections, noting increased demand for voice, data, and messaging services as voters seek information, authorities coordinate logistics, and media outlets provide real-time coverage.

"Elections are among the most communication-intensive events in any country," he wrote, underscoring how digital infrastructure has become central to democratic participation.