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Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Media

Political Advertising 2016: Tips for Local Advertisers

The political advertising window is not for the faint of heart. I can safely say, after weathering multiple political storms both buying and selling, it is a major pain point for everyone involved. With the YUGE drama around the upcoming general election, I expect that the advertising window will be fairly brutal in swing states.

According to the Los Angeles Times, political ad spending on TV thus far is right around $139 million, with Clinton’s campaign and support groups far outspending Trump’s. Clinton’s campaign is planning another $75 million spend this fall, while Trump’s just announced that he’ll enter the market with another $10 million. The graph below shows the actual spend to-date (planned future dollars not included).

Pres-Ad-SpendingLocal advertisers in battleground, or swing states, need to be prepared if they want to advertise, especially on TV, in the political window. The political window opens on September 9 and closes on November 8, Election Day 2016, when we’ll learn who the next POTUS will be. Here’s what local advertisers need to know to prepare themselves:

Perhaps the best way to be prepared for the 2016 political window is to have a conversation with your reps up front. Ask them if an influx of political dollars will affect your campaign and what their plans to make good will be if there is no available inventory. It’s much easier to anticipate and adjust your strategy at the outset, as opposed to trying to fix it after the fact.

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