Tips for breaking through the political ad clutter.
1. Place your media buy as early as possible to help manage rate increases, but know that you’ll likely be pre-empted. Identify acceptable makegoods so you’re ready when your spots get pushed.
2. Think about rescheduling your buys, especially closer to election day when candidates place even more ads in key programming and dayparts.
3. Don’t rely on news programming or cable news networks. That’s where candidates are spending the bulk of their budgets. (Political ads account for more than half of all news programming.)
4. Try alternatives like CTV/OTT. They’re already working to increase scale and their commercial pods are usually smaller than those on traditional TV.
Stay nimble and consider options besides broadcast and cable TV.
For instance, Hulu doesn’t accept political ads and once ads are booked, inventory is guaranteed. Just be sure to plan and place early.
Think outside the cable box. Movie theaters offer the impact of primetime TV and don’t accept political ads. And don’t forget radio. Compared to TV, radio stations experience less stress on inventory (except for news/talk and urban formats). Pandora accepts political ads, but they’re not planning to increase spot load. Again, book as soon as possible.
And don’t forget your print and digital readers, especially older folks who seek out strong editorial content during an election cycle.
