Marketing During an Election: Pitfalls and Priorities

Politics and marketing have a curious and often fraught history. Political campaigns are the ultimate marketing effort. Election committees use the same tactics, data and marketing channels as any other public or private brand. During the intense final months of the 2024 presidential election, the digital landscape may be more divisive, emotional and crowded than at any other time in American history.

At Oneupweb, we help our clients navigate the minefield of marketing during an election year, and we wanted to share a few of our tips to keep other marketing professionals out of the maelstrom.

The Big Business of Campaign Advertising

Political spending is still largely dedicated to traditional marketing channels, including TV, radio, and OHH (out-of-home) platforms. Part of this is the incredible reach of established TV networks, but there’s also a demographic motivator at play. In 2022, adults aged 50 and older accounted for 64% of all ballots cast, and this audience is readily accessible through cable and over-the-air advertising.

During the 2022 midterm elections, 51% of total campaign advertising dollars went to broadcast TV, followed by cable (15.9%), digital marketing (14.9%), connected TV (14.9%), and radio (2.7%).

In 2022, the combined campaign expenditures across candidate donations, party donations, and political action committees were more than $10.7 billion over the 21-month period used by the Federal Election Committee. For context, the two primary political parties are expected to spend $10 billion in the 2024 calendar year alone and only on the presidential race.

That’s all to say the next few months will be competitive, crowded and more than a little noisy.

The Collision of Marketing and Politics, Channel-by-Channel

As noted above, not all marketing channels and regions are impacted equally during an election. Regardless of your industry, it is important to have clear expectations about the shifting advertising landscape. Digital marketing and politics often collide on go-to marketing platforms, impacting results through November.

Connected TV

Brands with robust video campaigns on YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, or programmatic tools should be prepared for increased costs. In most areas, cost per mille and cost per click increased by double-digits depending on the platform, timeslot and programming.

Expect the highest rates during key political events, including:

• Republican Convention – July 15-19
• Democratic Convention – August 19-23

And don’t forget about the state primaries scheduled between August 1 and November 5.

PPC Search & Display Ads

CTV inventory will be expensive, making this a great time to refresh existing PPC campaigns or test new strategies. Reducing spend or swallowing lower ROAS (return on ad spend) just as holiday shopping heats up is especially hard on ecommerce brands, but it’s also an opportunity. Use the period to test new messaging and creative on smaller audiences, and don’t forget to lean into your first-party data to reach qualified users.

Social Media

Social media giants Meta, X and TikTok were raked through the coals after the 2020 election for hosting misinformation, resulting in a heated round of Congressional hearings and new standards for addressing extremism on the platforms.

For most brands, the best social media strategy for election season is to focus on neutral topics, product- or service-focused content and more educational vs. lighthearted entertainment. There’s a temptation to go for humor or sarcasm to lighten the mood, but neutrality is the safer bet, since you can’t control what your organic or paid post will appear next to on these platforms.

Paid social media advertising is considerably more expensive in the weeks leading up to the election, particularly in battleground states. When possible, to maintain your spend rates, shift your budget into Q3 and run your seasonal promotions earlier than October and November. Consider not targeting battleground states starting in mid-October, and make as many adjustments as you need to stick to your KPIs.

Email Marketing

When every other marketing channel is saturated, email marketing offers a direct link to past, current and prospective customers. Elections are an ideal time to reinforce brand identity and reignite brand loyalty; remind your audience of the problem your product or service solves and who you are. Users are looking for transparency during an election, and email marketing delivers that opportunity with minimal distraction.

Know Your Audience and Your Brand

If you’re thinking about taking a stand on a political issue, make sure it rings true to your brand’s voice, tone and mission. Use Google Analytics data, surveys and other resources to make sure your position aligns with your audience, and don’t force it. Suppose your followers aren’t interested in politics. In that case, it may make more sense to donate to the party that aligns with your views instead of running a campaign that risks alienating customers.

Is Your Marketing Politics-Proof?

One of the most valuable pieces of advice any brand can receive is don’t. At Oneupweb, don’t and I wouldn’t do that are a part of our honest customer service, and often that’s for free. With more than twenty-five years of marketing experience, we’ve learned a thing or two about navigating challenging times and coming out stronger on the other side. Get in touch or call us at (231) 922-9977 to get started!