I received an email pitch from one of the area cable companies to download their "Definitive" Handbook for local political advertising (or "why you should buy a lot of cable TV advertising instead of...").
It's filled with factoids and interpretations. From the introduction:
For the first time ever, digital advertising will exceed $1.8 billion in 2018 across national and local races as campaigns look to reach voters at a more personal level. Social media is expected to account for more than $1 billion of that total, despite the recent headlines.
That said, TV will retain the lion’s share of all political dollars, with an estimated $4.3 billion. Cable’s slice of the TV pie will see a 70% jump over the last midterm election in 2014, the only platform in addition to digital to project growth from ‘14 vs ‘18.
• More than half of all political advertising in 2018 will come from PACs and special interest groups registered at the state or local level.
• In 2016, cable TV saw a 52% increase in ad revenue over 2012. Cable’s share grew by 14% while broadcast TV saw a decline of nearly 20%.
• Other increases in 2016 were on more traditional platforms like direct mail and telemarketing.
But to win your local election, you don’t need to spend big, you just need to spend smart.
If you're interested in learning how cable television sales reps will position their medium as a political resource, and where other media fit into the mix through their eyes, you may wish to obtain your own copy of the Guide. It's available at the link below:
https://comcastspotlight.com/sites/default/files/pdf/documents/DefinitiveGuidetoLocalPoliticalAdvertising.pdf
