A estratégia de construção de imagem pública nas redes sociais digitais: a campanha permanente de cinco presidentes no Twitter e no Instagram

Abstract

The permanent campaign has become a central phenomenon in contemporary politics, characterized by the continuous use of electoral strategies throughout the mandate by elected political agents across different levels of governance. These strategies aim to influence the construction of public image and ensure the maintenance of a positive reputation. Moreover, the permanent campaign model enables politicians to gain greater visibility and remain in the spotlight. This study seeks to understand this phenomenon by analyzing the digital communication of five presidents: Jair Bolsonaro (Brazil), Nicolás Maduro (Venezuela), Donald Trump (United States), Alberto Fernández (Argentina), and Sebastián Piñera (Chile), all of whom maintain significant social media presence on platforms like Instagram and Twitter. These platforms, widely used by users worldwide, offer unique characteristics that provide a comprehensive view of political communication. The high frequency of posts, combined with personalization and professionalism in content creation, reveals these leaders' ongoing concern with remaining relevant, as if they were still on the electoral stage. To examine the positions adopted by these politicians, content analysis techniques were applied, with each post considered a unit of analysis, in a total of 2,849 posts. The following categories were defined to characterize the communication model of each political agent: (1) Political Positioning and on Highlighted Issues, (2) Attacks and Negative Campaigning, (3) Display of Achievements, (4) Search for and Demonstration of Political Capital, (5) Evocation of National Symbols, (6) Differentiations, (7) Private Life, and (8) Others. The specific contexts in which each president operated were also considered, as key events—such as the Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI) in Bolsonaro’s case or the humanitarian crisis faced by Maduro—directly influenced the content of their posts. Additionally, this study explores the consequences of maintaining an active campaign after the electoral victory. While governing demands conciliation, the logic of electoral campaigns relies on selfpromotion and persuasion, which may foster polarization and weaken public debate and democracy, especially when negative campaigning and attacks are escalated. The results indicate that each president developed distinct permanent campaigns, focusing on specific categories and adapting their rhetoric to the current political moment. Donald Trump, for instance, maintained a combative posture, directing attacks toward various social and political actors, particularly during his impeachment process, during which many of his posts sought to delegitimize legal and parliamentary proceedings. Among the limitations of this work are the three-month temporal scope, exclusively within the digital sphere, and the fact that it does not also cover the election. In conclusion, this research sheds light on the phenomenon of the permanent campaign, an underexplored topic but one of growing importance in the current political dynamics, as more representatives adopt these strategies to remain in the spotlight and shape their public image.