‘The first TikTok election’: are Sunak and Starmer’s digital campaigns winning over voters?

Labour spent more than £1.2m in the last week alone on digital ads, outspending the Tories by a factor of four. Illustration: Observer Design

Why would you hold an election in November? The question came from digital marketing guru Mike Harris and was asked in a message to his friend, Labour’s campaign manager, Morgan McSweeney, earlier this year. Digital advertising is more expensive in October and November because the internet is swamped with ads for Christmas and Black Friday, said Harris, the founder of communications agency 89up. Why not pick a cheaper time of year?

McSweeney shot back: “How about June?”