LOCAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNING VIA APPLICATION TIKTOK : THE CASE OF Ms. WARIN CHINNAWONG, PRESIDENT OF THE NAKHON SI THAMMARAT PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION

Abstract

Objectives of this research article were: 1. to study the election campaigning strategies used by Ms. Warin Chinnawong in her bid for President of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Administrative Organization via application TikTok, and 2. to analyze the content of the messages she used in her campaign on TikTok. This study used qualitative study employing document synthesis, examining 282 TikTok clips posted under the account named Nam Warin Chinwong, President of the Provincial Administrative Organization from October 14 to November 23, 2024 and analyzed the data.

The findings revealed that Ms. Warin employed four key strategies in her TikTok campaign: 1. Using both Thai and regional dialects in communication. 2. Posting multiple videos daily to create memorable impressions. 3. Using background music or audio that matched the content of the videos. 4. Filming in various locations around the province to foster a sense of connection with viewers, while choosing settings that showed citizens welcoming her during her campaign visits. As for the content of the messages, they aimed to evoke emotional resonance and create a memorable image that portrayed Ms. Warin as honest, a good coordinator, visionary, and committed to developing Nakhon Si Thammarat. She was also portrayed as stylish, energetic, and ready to work. Most of the content focused on emotional appeal, followed by content that combined both emotional and rational appeals. The least-used type of content was that which focused purely on rational arguments. This aligned with the nature of TikTok, which favored short and concise content. Notably, the TikTok campaign was conducted in tandem with in-person visits to meet constituents.