As an independent ad tech advisor, Ivan Guzenko provides professional advice to the CEO and C-level management of the company SmartyAds Inc.
If Fox’s $650 million annual payment for NFL broadcast rights is the Super Bowl of media deals, then political campaign advertising is the Olympics, soaring to a staggering $12 billion in 2024.
The high-stakes presidential race, fierce Senate battles and unexpected twists of election rallies are driving ad budgets through the roof. Meanwhile, audiences are bombarded by social media and connected TV (CTV) channel political ads, making brands feel like they’re playing a game of musical chairs while scrambling for inventory. In this storm, marketers must navigate the new advertising landscape, as turbulent and shifting as the election itself.
The Shockwave Effect
As the political landscape shifts, we can expect a wave of ramifications. Politicians will likely double down on targeting specific states with laser-focused, albeit much safer-to-run, digital ad campaigns. States like Nevada, Arizona and Michigan will become prime battlegrounds for political consultants who pursue hyper-local campaigns, which, in turn, gouges cost-per-thousand (CPM) spend and leaves brands to deal with even tougher competition for ad space. Advertisers and brands that plan to advertise this year need to take this into account and redistribute their budgets toward better campaign timing, as just before election season, ad traffic will experience huge spikes (along with CPM).
The Role Of Data-Driven Targeting Grows
It’s crucial for politicians to be where their voters are, and this year, they’re scattered across connected devices like smart TVs, mobile apps and gaming consoles. It’s no wonder CTV ad spending is set to hit a staggering $29.29 billion by the end of 2024, with 45% of digital political ad spend flowing into this channel.
However, even with the right tools and CTV platforms in their arsenal, political organizations are playing a high-stakes game to find the right voter. Many viewers have already made up their minds, turning the hunt for undecided voters into a needle-in-a-haystack challenge. As a result, politicians are zeroing in on that elusive sliver of the electorate still open to persuasion.
To pinpoint this indecisive group, politicians are expected to focus on states where support is strong, but they’ll also employ hyper-focused targeting to reach audiences with specific characteristics, such as those who recently moved into the state or new parents. This is where data-driven advertising platforms, such as programmatic channels—which already command over 91% of all U.S. digital display advertising buys—can play a pivotal role, acting as the weapon in the battle for voters’ attention. But keep in mind that although data-driven targeting isn’t a limited resource like ad inventory, advertisers still need to invest in cross-channel strategies (aside from CTV) to ensure their campaigns remain agile and responsive to shifting voter dynamics.
More Pressure For Reputation Safety And AI Policies
It all started back in 2016 when social media platforms, particularly Facebook, TikTok and Twitter, were criticized for their inability to combat misinformation and conspiracy theories to prevent election manipulation. At that time, Mark Zuckerberg, in particular, claimed that adtech vendors shouldn’t be held accountable for ad content or act as “arbiters of truth.” Meta even temporarily halted political advertising (paywall) before and during important votes, such as the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
Fast forward to 2024, and misinformation has exploded, fueled by deep fakes and AI-driven content, making brand safety more precarious than ever. Having spotted the threat, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke introduced a bill demanding transparency in AI-generated political ads, highlighting the urgent need for reform to safeguard democracy. If passed, this bill will tweak federal campaign finance laws to force political ad creators to disclose any use of AI in their content.
But What Can Brands Do?
Because AI landscape regulation is still not fully in place, brands should consider partnering with vendors offering verified sources through direct and private marketplaces. And to avoid getting caught in the crossfire of misleading political content, advertisers may want to steer clear of specific social platforms, as many of them will be buzzing with election chatter.
In the heated run-up to the election, marketers need to brace themselves—it’s going to be tough to cut through the noise amid the media squeeze. If you want to stay front and center with your audience, it’s time to get creative. An omnichannel strategy isn’t just a suggestion—it’s a lifeline. Although CTV is the political ad darling, channels like podcast ads and digital-out-of-home campaigns remain relatively untouched by the election frenzy because gathering data in these areas is trickier.
And don’t underestimate the niche media—entertainment-seeking viewers normally aren’t prime targets for political ads, whereas news and business media can be flooded with election messages. Platforms focused on narrow subjects (e.g., gaming ads) might also be ideal for dodging the campaign storm.
But if you’re determined to compete in the political ad battleground, be ready to pay to play—boost those bid caps to secure any available inventory and make sure your ads are actually distributed across a larger number of channels.
Wrapping It Up
It’s not just another year—it’s an election year. In what promises to be a rollercoaster of political ad spending, advertisers should consider changing their strategies and mindset to successfully navigate during this extremely competitive period. The U.S. presidential elections bring seismic shifts and a shaking up of norms. That’s why marketers need to be sure their brand strategies are diversified across channels, crystal clear, and ready to roll, no matter which way the political winds blow.
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