Keyword – digital campaign

Márton, Bene – Norbert, Merkovity:

History of Online Campaigning in Hungary

Based on the scholarly literature, this study reviews the history of online election campaigning in Hungary and describes the rise of digital campaigning in four phases. The experimental period (1996–2006) featured mostly static party websites and bottom-up viral mobilisation via email and SMS, especially since 2002. From 2006 to 2014, online tools became integrated into campaigns, while web 2.0 and blogging intensified personalisation. In 2014–2019, campaigning grew Facebook-centric and politically asymmetric: the opposition used social media to compensate for its disadvantages, while governing parties relied more on legacy media. After 2019, digital campaigning “broke through” as the government side also prioritised social media, multi-platform strategies expanded, ad spending rose and “stealth” campaigning spread. The conclusion highlights platform “TikTokisation” and campaign integrity as key research areas for the future.

Keywords: digital campaign, Facebook dominance, online election campaign, social media, stealth campaigning