Could Virtual Reality Influence Election Campaigns? by Sol Rogers

Politicians always try to adapt to new forms of media to allow them to connect to their voter-base. Consider Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Fireside Chats” in the thirties, John F. Kennedy’s early mastery of television in the sixties, or Donald Trump’s use of Twitter. The adoption of modern communication forms has arguably never been as important for politicians as it is today.

Politics and technology have become intrinsically linked. With the UK general election happening later this week, we’ve seen the main parties embrace a local digital strategy to win votes. Political parties now spend more on online advertising than traditional channels, with widespread political activity taking place on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. 

As technology and forms of communication evolve, could we see virtual reality offering a new edge over the competition? With the combination of data and immersive technology, a whole new level of campaigning is possible. While we haven’t seen UK politicians adopt immersive technology for this election, the 2016 USA Presidential campaign gave us a glimpse into the future of virtual reality in election campaigns. 

 

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