As we near the end of primary season and head into the general election sprint, the political ad deluge is coming. Spending projections for the ’22 midterms predict a record $9 billion in political dollars, which would make this year the most expensive midterm election in U.S. history.
For political campaigns it means diversifying ad spend will be critical between now and Election Day, and out-of-home (OOH) advertising has both the reach and targeting options to be a key piece of any successful media plan.
Here are three reasons why OOH should figure into your plan this year:
1. The Menu of Ad Options is Larger than You Think
When advertisers think of OOH, billboards often come to mind. And while billboards constitute a large (and effective) piece of the OOH ad ecosystem, there’s a diverse menu of options out there for political advertisers: place-based ads in shopping malls, restaurants or gyms, bus shelters, rideshare ads, and guerilla-marketing style options like wallscapes and murals.
In reality, the OOH ecosystem is enormous, which is why AdQuick built an automated OOH buying platform. Previously, navigating this array of options, wading through restrictions that may be specific to certain localities, and then actually locking in the buys was a time-consuming and often confusing process.
AdQuick’s platform streamlines those options, giving campaigns access to the available OOH inventory across the country all in one place. We also simplify the buying process and provide access to the sort of data political advertisers need to make strategic placement decisions.
2. The Data and Targeting Options Are Robust
Campaigns are going to spend a ton of money on TV advertising between now and Election Day, and that’s to be expected. But political advertisers can make the same sort of data-driven decisions with OOH.
Our platform enables the audience targeting that’s now essential for political campaigns. Advertisers can upload their own first-party data to create custom audience segments, and we have both built-in and custom geo-targeting options for campaigns.
Most importantly, AdQuick’s capabilities are cross-channel. We can combine OOH ad units across the country with CTV, OTT, social, mobile, desktop, streaming audio, and direct mail retargeting options, enabling advertisers to reinforce their message by reaching voters across multiple channels.
3. Reach and Trust Matter in Political Advertising: OOH Helps Deliver It
We already know that Facebook is re-upping its political ad ban for the week prior to this year’s election. We also know that trying to rise above the advertising noise on TV and digital is a perennial problem for campaigns (not to mention quite costly). OOH is perfectly placed to deliver the added reach political advertisers need and it does so efficiently.
A look at some of the data: The Out of Home Advertising Association found that 90 percent of travelers noticed an OOH ad in the past month, with 85 percent recalling the actual message. In addition, 74 percent of people reporting visiting a business and making a purchase after seeing a directional OOH ad. OOH also consistently offers some of the lowest CPMs of any traditional medium, delivering valuable reach at a cost that won’t squeeze your campaign’s budget.
Finally, trust and politics don’t exactly go together for many in the current environment. And this is another area where the data demonstrates the value of OOH advertising. Recent research found that 58 percent of consumers said they were likely or very likely to trust the messaging in OOH ads compared to TV, social media, or other digital channels.
Want to explore how to incorporate OOH into your political media plan? Have a look at our OOH Toolkit for political advertisers. You can explore the ad units available in your locale, use our budget estimator to get a better handle on potential costs, and discover look-alike markets for national or statewide campaigns.
To learn more about how you can harness the power of OOH advertising, schedule a complimentary strategy session with an OOH expert.
