Mumbai: Political advertising trends during the West Bengal Assembly Elections reflected a sharp shift in media strategy, with television maintaining stable ad volumes while print and radio witnessed steep declines, according to the latest TAM AdEx report comparing the 2021 and 2026 election periods.
The report, which analysed political ad insertions across TV, Print, and Radio between February and April of both election years, found that television advertising grew marginally by 1% in 2026 compared to 2021, while print ad insertions dropped by 31% and radio advertising declined by 30%.
According to the findings, TV emerged as the most resilient traditional medium for political campaigns during the 2026 elections. The report indexed TV ad insertions at 101 in 2026 against the base index of 100 in 2021, indicating steady advertiser confidence in the medium for mass voter outreach.
In contrast, print publications recorded a substantial fall in political advertising activity, with the medium’s index dropping to 69 in 2026 from 100 in 2021. Radio advertising also saw a sharp reduction, with its index falling to 70 during the same period.
The report further highlighted that political campaigns became increasingly concentrated during the latter stages of the election cycle. Television advertising activity surged significantly from Week 06 onwards, peaking during Week 09, which accounted for 39% of total TV ad insertions in 2026.
Radio advertising trends remained comparatively volatile across both election years, while print advertising maintained a relatively flat trajectory throughout the campaign periods.
The analysis suggests that political parties are gradually reallocating advertising budgets toward high-impact broadcast and digital-led outreach strategies, amid changing audience consumption patterns and evolving campaign dynamics.
The report also referenced a dedicated “Political Ads – Digital” section within the study, indicating the growing importance of digital media within election advertising ecosystems, although detailed digital data was not included in the shared findings.
The TAM AdEx study covered political advertising across West Bengal television channels, print publications, and radio stations during the Assembly Election periods of February–April 2021 and February–April 2026.
