Why Midterm Campaigns Will Need a Context-First Video Strategy

Delivering the right media mix will be increasingly hard for political marketers next year. In an environment of record midterm ad spending, ever-shifting outreach priorities, creeping privacy regulation hindering identity-based targeting and the appeal of set-it-and-forget programmatic platforms, it’ll be easy for some creative to miss the mark. 

Those looking to increase efficiency and balance for their clients should consider adding contextual placements — including CTV Out-Of-Home (OOH) inventory — to their media plans. 

Why contextual? Because we know from years of experience that the content around an ad can make audiences more receptive to whatever message you’re trying to deliver. Here’s how campaigns can develop a content-first approach to their paid media going into 2026:

Contextual Placements Add Efficiency In A Restrictive Publishing Environment

Political content and advertising is coming under increasing scrutiny in the current environment. It’s a safe bet to say that publishers may tighten their restrictions on political marketers going into the 2026 midterms. If that wasn’t enough to worry about, there are also consumer data privacy laws coming into effect in several states next year. 

That’s why campaigns should look to publishers who are open to political and have a catalog of content and channels that align with the audiences they’re trying to reach.

We’ve been supporting top publishers and content producers for more than a decade — building a platform of over 5 million premium videos from media partners like Bloomberg, New York Post, The Independent, Sports Illustrated and more. 

With VideoElephant, campaigns can match their messaging to highly specific content environments—whether that’s pairing a spot with a movie trailer, a sports update, or a lifestyle segment like a cooking video. 

Our contextual targeting capabilities allow political advertisers to place creative alongside the topics voters are already tuned into. For example, a candidate focused on fighting inflation can run an ad about rising grocery prices directly after a cooking video — reaching viewers at a moment of relevance. This kind of precise, content-aware placement mirrors the targeting power of CTV while extending into new touchpoints like out-of-home screens in stores, gyms, and restaurants. The result: smarter, more resonant political messaging that meets voters wherever they’re watching.

CTV-OOH Provides More Efficient Contextual Alignment

Many practitioners think of digital out of home (OOH) as just billboards along a highway — how inefficient in the digital age! — or posters in the subway or at a bus stop. In fact, digital OOH is one of the most efficient channels available to political marketers who can marry it with the content-rich experience of CTV. 

Now, digital OOH inventory is in high-traffic, large-screen formats and airs content in environments where there is a relatively captive audience. VideoElephant touches some 200,000 screens across all 50 states and all 210 DMAs. Think TVs in bars and casual dining restaurants, hotel lobbies, college and university lounge areas, gyms, salons, doctor’s offices, car service stations, laundromats and more.

Our research has shown 64 percent of the respondents say they’re more likely to watch OOH videos that mix ads with content than ads alone. Take the cooking video and grocery prices ad example from earlier.

CTV-OOH allows for an additional layer of context where this content and ad pairing can run in a grocery store environment. It’d be hard to find a better way to reach voters attuned to rising food prices. 

Ask About Your Vendor’s Supply Footprint

What’s more, VideoElephant’s footprint extends across a variety of CTV channels that attract audiences of all kinds. Whether it’s commuters getting their news from USA Today before heading to work, fans watching the baseball playoffs on ESPN, or niche communities watching true crime marathons, our inventory reaches TVs in both individual households and multi-dwelling units across the entire United States.

Over the past 12 years, we’ve seen how effective and valuable this inventory can be. We’re committed to making it more accessible and more targetable for political. Buyers can access this inventory programmatically through the major exchanges or directly from VideoElephant for greater cost-efficiency and customizable geo and audience targeting.

We know every political ad dollar matters. That’s why we want to help our partners spend them in the most efficient way possible. Reach out here to learn more about how contextual video can support your messaging.

K.C. McLeod is a Senior Vice President for Business Development at VideoElephant, which helps businesses license, distribute, and monetize video content. He can be reached here.