I read, with great interest, an eMarketer.com article regarding what is happening with political spending on traditional and digital media as 2016 elections near. While we are talking big money, as in $6.06 billion to be spent on Network TV and $1.10 billion on Cable TV, the fact is these numbers represent only slight increases in spending compared to 2012. Even more impactful on the local level is that the number of “toss up” races for Congress, Senate and Governor are much fewer than in the 2012 cycle.
While TV is recognized as the most effective tool available for politicians to influence voting behavior across the broadest range of voters, 2016 will see digital spending cross the $1 billion line for the first time.
No doubt this is a state-by-state issue in how Network and Cable TV inventory will be affected, but our media department feels the pinch will not be as extreme as anticipated in many markets. With several dealers coming off an impressive August, our advice is to stay on top of what is available for September and October to keep a presence in a good market.
Acknowledgement to:
e-Marketer “Digital Political Ad Spending to Skyrocket in 2016” April 21, 2016
The Cook Political Report “On Points: Our 2016 TV Ad Spending Projection” July 20, 2015
Posted
John Paul Strong
John Paul Strong combines his two decades of automotive marketing experience with a team of more than 150 professionals as owner and CEO of Strong Automotive.
