Facebook And Twitter Are Newest Battlegrounds in Brazil Election

(Bloomberg) -- Less than a year before Brazil’s presidential elections, potential candidates are ramping up social media presence as they brace for a tight race with shrinking financial resources.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube are poised to play outsized roles in the first presidential race since new rules put an end to corporate campaign donations, forcing possible candidates to seek cheaper and more effective ways of reaching voters. Bloomberg will track growth in their follower base until the October 2018 vote.

Click here for real-time updates on the follower base of the potential candidates.

Here’s a list of possible contenders, with links to related stories or profiles:

• Congressman Jair Bolsonaro
• Sao Paulo Mayor Joao Doria
• Former Senator Marina Silva
• Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
• Sao Paulo Governor Geraldo Alckmin
• Former Ceara Governor Ciro Gomes
• Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles 

Social media penetration in Brazil is well above the global average, with users spending nearly 3-3/4 hours per day on the platforms, the second-most of all countries tracked by the Digital in 2017 survey. In comparison, U.S. users spend about two hours a day on social media. It also allows candidates to bypass television behemoth Globo that for decades has held enormous sway in Brazil’s election outcomes.

To contact the reporter on this story: David Biller in Rio de Janeiro at dbiller1@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Vivianne Rodrigues at vrodrigues3@bloomberg.net, Walter Brandimarte

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