Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Department of Social Sciences - Berlin Graduate School of Social Science

Christina Gahn

Name
Christina Gahn
Homepage
https://christina.gahn.at
Cohort

BGSS Generation 2020

Title

Debunking the Myth of Targeted Political Advertising: Voter Backlash, Limited Visibility and Strategic Shortcomings in Modern Election Campaigns

Supervisor

Prof. Thomas M. Meyer, Prof. Heike Klüver

Abstract

Targeted and tailored political advertising plays a growing role in election campaigns, yet concerns about voter manipulation have led to widespread myths about its effectiveness. This dissertation investigates how German parties used targeting (sending messages to specific groups) and tailoring (adapting content to those groups) in the 2021 federal election, and how voters responded.

Distinguishing the two strategies conceptually, I introduce the ideas of targeting degree and tailoring degree to capture varying levels of specificity. Using survey experiments and data on all Facebook and Instagram ads by German parties and top candidates, I analyze both strategic use and voter reactions.

The findings show that light targeting and tailoring can be effective, but overly specific combinations may lead to backlash rather than persuasion. Contrary to common fears, voters appear resistant to hyper-personalized ads. Moreover, parties rarely use these tools strategically, often targeting broadly and neglecting to tailor content appropriately or match messages to voters' issue preferences.

This research challenges dominant assumptions about the power of targeted political ads and highlights a gap between their theoretical potential and actual campaign practice in Europe. It offers a more balanced perspective on their role in digital campaigning and democratic processes.