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What’s Next in Digital

$1.8 billion was spent in 2018 on political digital advertising. That’s about twice was spent in 2016 and vastly more than the $22 million spent in 2008. Expect political digital advertising to increase again in 2020. What are the key drivers of this growth?

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Reid Vineis

I recently had the opportunity to speak at CampaignExpo hosted by Campaigns & Elections on “What’s Next in Digital.”

$1.8 billion was spent in 2018 on political digital advertising. That’s about twice was spent in 2016 and vastly more than the $22 million spent in 2008.

Expect political digital advertising to increase again in 2020.

What are the key drivers of this growth?

  1. Mobile
  2. Video
  3. Personalization

Let’s take a closer look at each.

Mobile as the Preferred Platform
Mobile by definition is any content that is designed specifically for cellphones and tablets. Delivered in-app or mobile web, this is not just Google or Facebook on your phone. This is advertising delivered when people check the weather, play games and stay up-to-date on their favorite team’s score. We focus on over 200,000 different apps people spend time on.

Forecasts expect nearly 50% of ad spend will be on mobile by 2022. Televisions share is expected to decrease from 31.6% to 24.8%.

It is important to note here that mobile in-app video is 1/10th the cost of a completed view vs. Facebook.

Video as the Dominant Medium
Today 65% of content consumed is video. That is expected to rise to 82% in 2022. The internet has grown from a display of text and pictures to a video-driven platform.

On YouTube alone, 500 hours of video are uploaded every minute.

Why is video so popular and effective? Video’s combination of sight, sound and motion create a better user experience.

Digital video is the great equalizer in today’s races, helping down-ballot campaigns reach voters directly with their message for a lower cost than TV. Think attack ads that persuade voters, campaign updates that encourage donations, and voting reminder messages that turn out a GOTV audience.

Personalization as a Growth Driver
Data allows us to make content more relevant to users, which leads to a higher engagement rate.

A simple text change to copy acknowledging the state your targeted audience lives can lead to greater success. Adding “Ohio” or “Florida” into the text and image is a simple form of personalization that makes an ad relevant to a targeted audience and can lead to a higher engagement rate.

Putting It All Together
As we head into 2020, remember this …

Platform = Mobile
Medium = Video
Content = Personalized

Read more in Reid’s recent Campaign & Elections article, “3 Ways to Harness the Growth of Digital.”