Blog | Michael DiFerdinando
January 22, 2020

Ad Management for Political Campaigns

Will your message reach the people who matter this campaign season?

As the calendar slips into the start of a new decade, the 2020s are poised to roar for advertisers ahead of one of the most anticipated U.S. election seasons in memory.

Need proof? Check out what the industry experts are predicting. Kantar Media forecasts political campaigns for U.S. federal office will spend $6 billion on paid media placements this year. Broadcast is projected to take in $3.2 billion and cable $1.2 billion, according to the Kantar study. The study did not include ads sponsored by Political Action Committees (PACs).

Of the $6 billion in political campaign spending this cycle, Kantar expects 20%, or $1.2 billion, to go to digital.

According to Cross Screen Media, there could be eight million broadcast airings of political ads in 2020, an increase from 5.5 million in 2018. A lot of the political ads will air on local newscasts. According to a report from Kantar CMAG, political advertising took up 43% of available slots on local news in battleground markets, compared to just 10% at the start of the season.

EMarketer estimates US advertisers will spend $42.58 billion on digital video placements overall, amounting to 28.1% of digital ad spending. Most of those placements will be bought programmatically, with 82 % of US digital video ad spending forecast to be transacted in automated channels next year.  

Why are experts predicting such large advertising spends this season? In addition to a banner ad year, experts are also expecting a tremendous voter turnout.

Turnout in 2018 was the highest it had been for a midterm election since 1914, according to University of Florida political science professor Michael McDonald, a nationally recognized elections expert who maintains the voter data site United States Election Project. Next year, he predicts, 65%-66% of eligible voters will turn out, the highest since 1908, when turnout was 65.7%.

For political advertisers to capitalize on their advertising opportunities and reach voters at the right time and right place, they need a campaign built on speed, mobility, quality, reliability and scale. To stay ahead of the polls and make an impact fast, you need to get your message to voters faster, at higher quality, without worries and hassles.

“Video advertising is essential to modern political campaigns, helping to build awareness of both candidates and issues. Fast, efficient placement of broadcast-quality advertisements is essential for a high-functioning campaign,” said Richard Nunn, Vice President and General Manager of the Ad Platform at Comcast Technology Solutions.

The CTSuite offers a advertisers a new solution for political clients designed to get their message to potential voters quickly, and across more touchpoints than ever before.

Manage campaigns, ad spots, payments, closed-captioning, versioning and distribution all from a mobile platform “on-the-go". Fully transparent order entry and management provide views into the lifecycle of spots from upload to final delivery.

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