Or, rather--who's watching? This is what political advertisers should be wondering. A few notes from a recent report on political advertising trends:
- TiVo / DVR penetration rates among voters tend to be substantially higher than among non-voters, and can represent a substantial portion of the electorate.
- Daily newspapers' overall circulation declined by more than a million between 1999 and 2003 alone. The only growth in the newspaper industry is among the weekly papers, which have increased their circulation by 600,000 over the same period.
- Internet radio advertising provides strong cross-over benefits for progressive organizations, allowing you to take immediate action while at the computer.
- The first two return recommendations on Google are worth as much as the top paid search ad and is free.
"This transition will also require a much greater degree of message sophistication. Understanding how an issue plays out across segments requires a much greater commitment to understanding the policy or issue itself."
Imagine that.
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Jessica Clark is a writer, editor and researcher, with more than 15 years of experience spanning commercial, educational, independent and public media production. Currently she is the Research Director for American University’s Center for Social Media. She also writes a monthly column for PBS’ MediaShift on new directions in public media. She is the author, with Tracy Van Slyke, of Beyond the Echo Chamber: Reshaping Politics Through Networked Progressive Media (2010, New Press).
