Dems outspending GOP nearly 2x on presidential race
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Democrats have poured nearly twice as much cash into political ads this cycle ($325 million) compared to Republicans ($181 million), according to the latest projections from AdImpact, a political advertising analysis firm.
Why it matters: Democrats' fundraising lead faced pressure amid party division over President Biden's viability as the party's nominee. But Vice President Kamala Harris' rapid rise and subsequent momentum suggest the party could maintain its advertising edge heading into the general election.
By the numbers: Democrats so far have spent the bulk of its advertising dollars on digital properties, such as Google and Facebook.
- That's notable given that campaigns have historically poured most of their dollars into local broadcasts.
- TV ads, which tend to be longer and viewed on a big screen, are good for persuading voters. Digital ads are typically used for fundraising and list-building, but they help candidates target certain populations, such as younger or minority voters.
Zoom in: Both campaigns are spending record amounts on CTV advertising, or streaming. While not all streaming platforms accept political ads, those that do offer campaigns the opportunity to target TV-like ads to narrower groups of people based on their interests.
- The industry pull away from internet tracking cookies is forcing campaigns to rely more heavily on digital formats outside of traditional digital banner ads, such as streaming, keyword searches and podcasts.
Of note: With the exception of radio, AdImpact's data only measures video advertising spend. It does not measure all digital placements, such as homepage takeovers on premium publishing sites, out-of-home placements or direct mail.
- The spend figures include advertising from political action committees supporting the presidential candidates, as well as the campaigns and parties themselves.
The big picture: The political ad market is expected to reach record spend levels this year.
- Total spending on the presidential election alone is expected to reach $10.69 billion, a 19% growth rate over the 2019-2020 presidential cycle, per AdImpact.
- All political advertising, including issue ads and down-ballot campaign ads, is expected to surpass more than $16 billion this year, per GroupM.
Be smart: Historically, campaigns were limited to advertising opportunities on heavily regulated mediums with limited inventory, such as television, radio and print.
- Today, the internet offers infinite inventory for campaigns to place ads with few regulations. That has also contributed to the historic growth of political ad spend in the U.S.
