The various political parties may have spent more money on flashy marketing campaigns, artfully shot videos and carefully curated Facebook feeds during the Sept 11 General Election, but political-watchers remain sceptical that increased expenditure on such media engagement will necessarily translate into more votes for a party.

According to the campaigning expenses reports of all parties — which was opened for public inspection on Wednesday — spending on media engagement was much higher compared to previous elections.

For example, the ruling People’s Action Party spent about S$1.679 million on advertising and printing of promotional materials — about 40 per cent more than in the 2011 polls.

… Likewise, social media can act as an important “bypass channel” for the Opposition, said Associate Professor Alan Chong from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Since Opposition parties may not command as much space in the mainstream media, which is often perceived to be pro-Government, they can turn to the online sphere, a place which may “benefit the underdogs”.