Leveraging Streaming TV
In today's rapidly evolving digital age, the landscape of political advertising is undergoing significant transformation. With the advent of data mining technologies and the proliferation of streaming services, political campaigns have more tools at their disposal than ever before to reach their target voters in nuanced, tailored, and high-quality ways. Last cycle, our very own Ryan Irvin was quoted in the New York Times article "This Ad’s for You (Not Your Neighbor)" by Natasha Singer1, which delves into this very evolution, emphasizing some of the sophisticated targeted media strategies Change Media Group has employed in recent campaigns, especially that of Michigan State Senator Darrin Camilleri, in 2022.
Sen. Camilleri's campaign is a great example of how political advertising can be more specific in its approach, even at scale. Tens of thousands of voters in his Detroit area district, who accessed streaming video services, were presented with local campaign ads tailored to their political inclinations. Camilleri, a Democrat in the Michigan House running for State Senate, specifically targeted 62,402 moderate, female, and likely pro-choice voters with an ad focused on reproductive rights. His campaign also broadcasted a broader video ad towards 77,836 Democrats and Independents who had participated in previous midterm elections. These ads were strategically placed on ad-supported streaming platforms like Samsung TV Plus and LG Channels, appearing during shows on Lifetime, Vice, and other channels.
This innovative approach highlights a shift from the generalized ad campaigns of old to the hyper-targeted strategies of today. Camilleri's campaign was not just reaching a broad spectrum of potential voters, but specific households with high-quality, non-skippable ads. Prior to visiting neighborhoods to canvas, he aired streaming ads introducing himself to selected homes. As a result, when he eventually knocked on their doors, many recognized him from their televisions, not realizing his smaller campaign hadn’t spent tens of thousands of dollars on broadcast. Rather, he’d leveraged streaming platform ads at a fraction of the cost to mimic that effect on living room televisions.
What's particularly intriguing is the rapid rise of political ads on streaming platforms. Seen as a niche medium during the 2018 midterm elections, streaming has now ascended to become the fastest growing advertising medium in US politics as of 2024. AdImpact, an ad-tracking company, estimated that about $1.7 billion was spent on streaming services during the 2024 election cycle2. This elevates streaming ad spending to a level comparable with industry giants like Facebook and Google.
However, this rise in popularity isn’t without its controversies. Concerns arise about the regulatory discrepancies between traditional broadcast advertising and streaming platforms. While political ads on television and cable are mandated to disclose their sponsors, there’s no federal stipulation specifically addressing streaming video services3. The consequence is a regulatory gray area as streaming platforms adopt varied approaches, creating potential risks in an unchecked ecosystem and a lack of clarity about total spend in a race.
The changing dynamics of political campaigning underscore the need for adaptability, innovation, and timely action. With the rise of CTV and streaming services as prominent advertising platforms, candidates are furnished with a potent tool to engage with their target voters in an unprecedented manner. And now, we can even collect data showing how many times each household saw our streaming TV ads. As showcased by the strategy of Darrin Camilleri, a well-timed, targeted ad campaign via streaming services can be a game-changer, harnessing the power of modern technology to influence the age-old game of politics. The future of political campaigning is here, and it's digital, dynamic, and decisively data-driven.
https://change.fyi/nyt2
https://adimpact.com/reports/cycle-in-review-2023-2024
https://change.fyi/adweek