THE EFFECTIVENESS OF POLITICAL PARTIES’ DIGITAL CAMPAIGNS IN THE 2024 LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS: A CASE STUDY OF THE GERINDRA PARTY IN KUPANG CITY

Abstract

This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Gerindra Party's digital campaign during Indonesia's 2024 Legislative Election in Kupang City and identifies the factors supporting and constraining its implementation, amid the growing strategic role of digital campaigning and rising social media use among young voters. Using a qualitative case-study design, data were collected through in-depth interviews, social media observation, and documentation, then analyzed with the Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña interactive model. Informants included Gerindra officials, the digital campaign team, millennial and Gen Z voters, a political observer, and a Bawaslu Kupang City representative. Applying the AIDA model, the campaign was highly effective at the attention and interest stages, reflected in sustained engagement and visual recall; moderately effective at the desire stage, where positive party image coexisted with reliance on candidates' records; and limited at the action stage, as votes were shaped by family discussion and face-to-face interaction rather than online exposure. This uneven distribution across AIDA stages is the study's central finding, revealing a conversion gap between digital engagement and electoral behavior rarely noted in prior studies. Building on this gap, the study proposes an "interrupted AIDA" model, in which digital media generate attention and shape agenda, while final decisions are mediated through interpersonal, two-step-flow-like communication rooted in local context. Supporting factors included widespread youth social media use, a structured digital team, and cost flexibility, while inhibiting factors included digital literacy gaps, persistent face-to-face culture, limited resources, and weak content oversight. The study concludes that digital campaigning complements rather than replaces conventional campaigning, extending the AIDA model for future research.