Marketing During an Election Year
Election Day might be right around the corner, but it is not too late for your business to pivot campaign and marketing strategies and properly navigate the saturated media space. We break down what to expect and how to cut through all the noise.
Historically, election years have been disruptive to brands and marketers because politicians consume media and advertising space. Some experts are predicting that this will be the costliest, and most media-intensive election yet.
Higher Advertising Costs
According to a report conducted by WPP, an estimated $9.9 billion will be spent on political advertising campaigns this election year–an increase of approximately $1.2 billion from the last midterm election. Google’s Transparency Report breaks down money spent per state and candidates have spent a staggering $44 million dollars in California alone—that’s across traditional, digital and social media buys.
Due to higher demand, media costs also naturally increase during an election year, so media buyers will have to be extremely strategic in their approach. Especially because another challenge brought on by the economic impact of the pandemic is brands’ and companies’ ability to spend advertising dollars.
Working with boutique agencies like Modera can be beneficial to your company’s marketing budget during such trying times. You can get all the big agency capabilities with boutique agency expertise and personalization.
Cutting Through Ad Fatigue and Political Ads Saturation
Without a doubt, 2020 is one of the most politically charged times in our country’s modern history. For one, many brands and businesses are still reeling from the impact of COVID-19.
Not only do marketers have the unique challenge of dealing with the global health crisis during an election year, but there has been an uprise in unrest due to high profile, widely publicized incidents surrounding social justice and racial inequality in this country.
It’s an emotionally taxing year for the masses. At Modera, we ensure that our clients’ messaging stays impactful, yet tactful.
Although challenging, these unprecedented times give your brand the opportunity to truly think outside the box by delivering creative campaigns that will not only catch the consumers’ attention but help overcome ad fatigue.
Planning Ahead
The good news is, many social media companies, such as Facebook, have announced that their platforms will block political ads from running as early as a week before the election, and Google will stop the day after the election. Keep these dates in mind as you allocate digital marketing budgets and schedule media buys during the last quarter of the year.
It’s also important to keep voice, tone and positioning in mind during an election year. Otherwise your brand may run the risk of negative comments or unwanted associations–unless of course your brand intends to take a side.
To summarize, here are the three steps on how to successfully deploy marketing campaigns during an election year:
- The best way to cut through ad fatigue and maintain customer relevancy is to stay true to your brand.
- Understanding and acknowledging the challenges your audiences are facing this year in your messaging.
- Be flexible and be prepared to pivot quickly. Things are always changing.
Whether you are marketing on TV, print, out-of-home, digital or social spaces, working with a team of experts can help your brand deliver meaningful messages to the right audiences.
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