The countdown to 2024’s presidential election is on. With Republican candidates already duking it out in debates, President Biden kicking off his reelection campaign, and smaller races ongoing, advertisers are gearing up for a record-breaking election year that’ll reach an anticipated record-breaking spend of $10 billion. 

To help advertisers plan their strategies for this pivotal year, we took a look at the issues voters care about, where they’re getting their news, and the types of ads they resonate with the most. Read on for four key takeaways from the two-sheeter and download the report for a deeper analysis. 

‍

1. Because younger audiences are less likely to see political ads, target this massive voter segment in the places they actually spend their time.

With just 46% of Gen Z and millennials seeing “a lot” or “some” political ads in the past three months, a nuanced strategy is essential to reaching these elusive viewers. Ensure that your campaigns incorporate an omniscreen approach across mobile and CTV to capture the attention of younger audiences, who are more likely to have shifted away from traditional TV. And the timing couldn’t be better with more of the younger generations opting for ad-based streaming options (68% of millennials have a streaming subscription that shows ads - more than any other generation!).

‍

2. With specific states, DMAs, and their voters likely to make or break the upcoming election, make sure you are using fully representative data for targeting and measurement.

While many Americans were watching the early Republican debates, voters in key swing states like Georgia and Nevada were more likely to skip the broadcast. Additionally, Arizona and Florida tune-in dipped between the first and third debates. Looking to how the age-based demographics responded to these early debates, baby boomers over-indexed on viewership by 22% to 27%, compared to millennials and Gen Zers who under-indexed by -5% to -8%. Granular geo and demographic insights that reflect the U.S. census will be essential to targeting and measurement for advertisers honing in on specific regions that are key to their races. 

‍

‍

3. Spread dollars across linear and streaming rather than social, and downplay sensational messaging in creatives. 

With trust in media at an all-time low, people are thinking long and hard ​about where to get their news. Despite being the number two source for news, just 13% of voters trust social media for reliable coverage and an even lower 7% of undecided / dissatisfied voters do. Pair that with the data that only 54% of voters think social media companies should allow political ads on their platforms (44% of undecided / dissatisfied voters) and it's clear that traditional and streaming TV remain the best bet for advertisers looking to earn trust among these key voters. 

‍

4. Reach unexposed linear TV audiences across channels with advanced targeting. Supplement this with true reach and frequency measurement to ensure that you are driving incremental reach rather than oversaturating your audience. 

With 46% of voters saying that seeing repetitive political ads would likely worsen their perception of ​a candidate, a thoughtful advertising strategy is essential. Meanwhile, of the crucial undecided / dissatisfied voter base, 41% say that seeing the same ad two to five times ​in a month would likely worsen their perception of the candidate. Ensure you are reaching unexposed audiences with your ads, rather than hitting the same viewers over and over again. 

‍

Whatever your goals this political season, Samba TV is here to help. Reach out to us today to hear more about our real-time custom segments for 2024 political audience targeting at both the local and national level.

‍