3 Key Factors for Political Advertisers to Consider in the Upcoming Cycle

TEMPE, Ariz., Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier this year (September 2023), the Pew Research Center reported that 65% of Americans are largely exhausted with politics due to toxic discourse, misinformation, and distrust toward all branches of government. Despite this, voter turnout is higher now than ever before; the 2020 presidential election saw 66% of eligible voters cast their ballots ? the highest rate since 1900.

People may be tired of politics, but it's clear they still care about it. Research suggests that most people don't necessarily learn new things from political advertisements, but there is strong evidence that they are persuaded by them. That makes political advertising more important than ever before, and the political arm of the Genius Monkey platform put together some key takeaways to prep political advertisers for the quickly emerging cycle.

The Early Candidate Gets the Voter... Or At Least Their Attention

Studies from the 2018 and 2020 cycles show that an average of 13% of political ad spend is used two months before voting, 32% one month before voting, and 20% is used in the few days prior to the vote in November. This means the 6 months prior to September have an average of less than 8% of the budget per month for that voting initiative. That is a gaping advertising hole ready for you to come fill with a better buy and get a greater share of voice!

Genius Monkey data demonstrates that the initiatives or candidates that advertise earlier than the 2 months prior to the election achieve the optimal amount of name-recognition to win elections. Political advertisers in the oncoming cycle should strongly consider starting their push earlier and heavier to gain better traction.

Not All Digital Political Marketing Platforms Are Created Equal

Some platforms such as Xandr are backing out of the political segment as a whole while others won't allow political ads of any kind in select states. Genius Monkey has no such restrictions.

In addition to high level restrictions, targeting capabilities for political initiatives is now more important than ever. Some capabilities that Genius Monkey has for its political advertisers include:

• Unique district targeting, including district by city, state senate, state house, county or congressional district.
• Media consumption targeting ? being able to identify actual content users are consuming and contextually categorize that through tone and political leaning analysis.
• Mapping billions of Device IDs to household ID groups to know which individual devices and owners can be lumped together with a confidence score into political leanings.
• Direct voter match capability.

This kind of precise audience targeting is exactly what Genius Monkey is known for, and that's why our political users have enjoyed a 78% win rate over the last 4 election cycles as well as a 70% match rate on vote list files.

Stand Out With Less "Pure" Negative Ads

A "pure" negative ad is where the information is all about your opposition, casting doubt on their record or competence to show them in the worst light possible. These types of ads have been on the rise for over a decade, and some research suggests these types of ads are a significant contributor to the widespread cynicism the American public feels towards politics. This presents you with an opportunity to be the "good guy" with a more focused, uplifting political message.

Pushing negative ads can work, but it has become the default setting for politics and people are getting sick of it. A healthy dose of refreshingly optimistic ads will help you stand apart from the candidate with an endless amount of predictable negative ones.

Enjoy High Ad-Spend Efficiency with Genius Monkey

In 2022, political ad spend was in the ballpark of $9.6 billion. The increased demand paired with a squeeze on supply can make for choppy waters, but the right partner with the right tech can smooth the ride. Genius Monkey is tapped into virtually all the various networks, exchanges, and DSPs, maximizing your efficiency and allowing you to act with confidence on your marketing strategy.

We've been involved in the political ad space from the beginning and can help your campaign punch well above its weight. For more information on how we can help you evolve your marketing, contact Genius Monkey today!

Contact:
Travis Champ
Chief Operating Officer
Genius Monkey
[email protected] 

SOURCE Genius Monkey