April 10, 2019
With the 2020 election cycle heating up, campaigns from all across the political spectrum are gearing up to ensure their party’s platform is heard and seen by swing voters and those who are more inclined to agree with their issues. Just in 2018, political media spending was estimated at $6.8 billion! Think about the amount of spending there will be from now until 2020.
As you can imagine, advertisers are preparing the perfect TV spots in order to reach family rooms all across America, right? Well, not entirely. We’re in an era where people, especially millennials, demand engaging stories that not only speak directly to their issues, but also those that capture them on their time. 59% of people who turn to online video to learn more about the candidates are under the age of 35; one in four are over the age of 45.
Unlike the days of Kennedy and Reagan, advertisers can no longer afford to bank on their candidate’s appeal in a carefully (and expensively) produced primetime TV ad. Instead, candidates must reach their potential voters through trending or topical video content that plays across all devices—mobile, desktop, tablet and connected TV.
A driving force in today’s political advertising is blending unique data with customized creative. It is a move beyond simplistic geographic targeting toward individual, more personal targeting.
In order to access this technology, video advertisers are advised to work with a video-specific DSP that leverages third-party data to deliver customized videos to potential voters who actually care about your issues. Think about it. Bernie Sanders wouldn’t want to waste campaign dollars having his videos seen by Donald Trump supporters, and vice versa.
Once you’ve captured their attention, you’ll want to drive the potential voter to learn more about your candidate’s issues. With custom creative features and formats, you can speak directly to the viewer’s issues and drive them to your website or fundraising campaign. These enhancements shouldn’t cost you a ton of money. Partners with in-house creative studios are able to help with this!
With all of this in mind, be sure to produce videos that appeal to undecided voters and introduce solutions to some of the hot button topics in today’s political climate. And be certain that you’re telling a powerful story that’s designed and optimized to reach a specific group of people.
If you’re interested in making an impact with video in your political campaign, contact Tremor Video DSP for more information.
– Frank Pasquine, Content Manager at Tremor Video DSP