The government (PT) changed the communication strategy for a year of the 2026 election, expanded the money for ads on the internet and started to bet on influencers and viral video models, focusing.
Partial data from the Presidency’s Secom (Secretariat of Social Communication) show that the folder began to direct about 30% of the advertising funds to digital websites and platforms, compared to 20% in the previous year.
Secom’s new communication strategy, prepared by Minister Sidônio Palmeira, contrasts with the previous guidance of Paulo Pimenta (PT), that investment in radios as a way to reach the poorest and distant population of the capitals – he left office in January.
The new minister appointed Mariah Queiroz to the Secretariat of Strategies and Networks. She worked in the communication of the mayor of Recife, João Campos (PSB), one of the politicians of.
At least 20 digital influencers have been hired to participate in campaigns since August. The bet is to try to replicate video model that viralize on the internet, such as “kittens” explaining government proposals.
In advertising published last week on the networks “gov.br”, for example, the presenter João Kléber transports his “loyalty test” – popular frame that aimed to provoke and “catch” eventual adulters – to the dispute between Lula and Donald Trump governments, allied to the Bolsonaro family.
In the video, the presenter says he is on the streets of Sao Paulo to know “if the people are faithful to our country” or “will give that escape outside”. He asks a number of people if they prefer pix or credit card, Brazilian or Mexican soap opera, Brazilian or American football.
João Kléber ends the video stating that the “people are faithful to our country” and says that the government also protects Brazil.
Behind the scenes, petistas say that Trump’s tariff has fallen in the lap marketing lap, allowing the government and the party to resume the defense of sovereignty and green and yellow colors, used as a pocket motto for years.
In July, the government’s page was alluded to Trump’s statements in defense of Bolsonaro. Secom’s play features an assembly with photos of “kittens” that talk about “national sovereignty”.
“The country of dogs may even have a bossy dog, can negotiate with the kittens, suggest partnerships, bark from time to time. But it cannot, for example, want to decide what the kittens will do in his country, let alone the muzzle in the decisions of feline justice,” says the video.
The publication was made at the time the judgment of the (Federal Supreme Court) was approaching.
The issue of tax justice has as its main motto the project that expanded the exemption of income tax to R $ 5,000 and which raised the taxation of those who have monthly income of over R $ 50 thousand.
“In a historic victory of the Brazilian people, the deputies kept the compensation for the super rich, who will contribute more fairly,” says a government text unanimously in the House of Representatives.
Secom said in a statement that the participation of influencers and content producers in campaigns reflects the new habits of Brazilians when looking for information, “with a remarkable increase in the time dedicated to navigation in the networks.”
“This action is absolutely in accordance with current legislation on public communication.”
The folder says it does not negotiate directly with the influencers. It also states that they are hired by the advertising agencies, being paid with campaign production funds.
In general, agencies place a ceiling of $ 20,000 per video of cache by video produced by influencers, according to authorities accompanying the negotiations. Asked, Secom did not say how much each influencer received.
In the case of the play “Loyalty Test to Brazil”, the Secretariat says that João Kléber’s participation was offered “in a bonus” by Kwai, “from the purchase of spaces that would already be made within the platform for display of promotional content”.
Secom’s partial advertising execution data show that Kwai received at least $ 7 million in ads, the third digital company benefiting from federal funds.
The ranking of the secretariat’s online advertising is led by Google, which also distributes ads on YouTube. The company received at least R $ 26 million, within R $ 235 million distributed by the portfolio this year to all means – including TVs, radios, newspapers and other media.
Last year, in about $ 370 million Secom advertisements, Google received $ 10 million.
The change of government strategy made the company skip from sixth to second vehicle benefited from all the means from 2024 to 2025, behind only TV Globo, which received $ 54 million this year. TV Record’s national channel is the current third most benefited vehicle, with R $ 25 million in Secom ads, according to the folder’s still partial data.
Part of the influencers who record to the government is not paid. There are cases where Secom asks for and they sign documents giving the videos.
Authorities who were part of previous managements of the Secretariat say that there was fear of hiring influencers because of the difficulty of explaining to the control bodies the selection and remuneration criteria.
Even with the new strategy, TV advertising still consumes about half of Secom ad money. After the internet (about 30%), the main destination are radios (10%), outdoor media (such as panel and outdoor, with 8%), newspapers (1.1%), magazines (0.18%) and cinema (0.14%), according to available values.
The percentages can still change, as the dissemination of the details of government spending in propaganda is slow. But other databases also point out that shot from advertising on networks.
