Meet Ctrl+Alt+Persuade+Delete

Money. Media. Advertising. Politics.

Jan 31, 2024

Hi friends —

Welcome to Ctrl+Alt+Persuade+Delete, a newsletter to help decode the billions of dollars in campaign spending we will see in Election ‘24, and the ads and voter communications that come along with it.

The 2024 election will saturate screens small and large with over $16 billion in advertising - from niche streaming platforms to expansive AI-powered campaigns. But most coverage of political media gets lost in the pundits game of “who's up/who’s down” rather than looking at political messaging, branding, and yes (once in awhile!), creativity.

Drawing from lessons taught in my USC course "Political Advertising in the 2024 Election”, I’m sharing this newsletter to sift signal from noise. Leveraging decades of experience in advertising, marketing, and politics for campaigns and global brands, I’ll chronicle the data-powered innovations and influencer-fueled communications poised to shape voter decisions in this critical election cycle…without the spin.

Apologies in advance if you received this and do not want this newsletter. I totally get it. As a long-time friend I wanted to share with you, but if you are not interested just hit unsubscribe below.

Otherwise, take a look and always feel free share your thoughts, or a good ad or two!!

Steve

Do we really need another newsletter? $17B in political advertising says yes.

Political advertising spending is projected to surge 18% over 2020's $14 billion record high, rocketing north of a staggering $17 billion this election cycle. 1

With apologies to my mates down-under that’s just as much advertising that will be spent in Australia -- THE ENTIRE COUNTRY -- this year.

Why this newsletter, and why now?

With over two decades of experience in advertising, marketing, and politics for both campaigns and global brands, I’ve seen a lot. From organizing frigid Iowa caucuses to big city ward politics, and a spell as a partner at a leading DC political ad shop, I’ve run the gamut from direct mail and “door hangers,” to having a front row seat for a groundbreaking presidential campaign in 2008 that won the two top prizes at the Cannes Advertising Festival and changed politics forever.

When I was asked late last year to develop a new course in Political Advertising and the 2024 Election at the USC Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism I was thrilled. The class brings together two of my great passions: politics and advertising, and helps me to see the world of both disciplines through fresh eyes.

Many have asked if they can audit my course, or watch on zoom. Sadly, that is not possible but I am excited to be able to share my insights, as well as those of many expert contributors, to readers of ctrl+alt+persuade+delete during what may be the most consequential election cycle in American History.

Where is all that money going?

Broadcast TV — seriously? Don’t look now but local TV stations across America will be getting a much-needed boost from TV advertising at a time when most marketers are looking for new ways to spend ad dollars. GroupM estimates that just about 50% of the 2024 ad spend will go to broadcast TV.

Don’t blink though because digital, social, and streaming are poised to cash in big time as media agencies look to find voters in every cornerof the US.

2024 sure will be good for local tv channels, political consultants, ad makers, editors, media buyers, and - quite likely - big ticket streamers like Netflix, Disney+, Max and others who will look to amp-up ad revenues with a significant share of this massive political haul.

Will AI video/image ads and hyper-personalized streaming show up in election ‘24?

The answer is undoubtedly, YES. We will to share how these latest innovations will be used in this election cycle, and what it means for traditional marketers, brands, and these campaigns.

Is all this spending damaging open discourse and democracy?

Of course it is! That ship sailed a long time ago. Most political insiders blame recent developments like the Citizens United decision, partisan gerrymandering, or the erosion of civic information sources. All true.

But if you want to go deeper I recommend reading this pivotal work by Walter Lippmann whose 1922 treatise Public Opinion basically called the shot over a century ago. Better yet, take a listen to this episode of the fantastic podcast PhilosophizeThis! for more on Lippmann.

For now we’re just here for the ads.

You don’t have to be a political junkie, or insider, to keep tabs on what’s happening with the nearly $17B in political marketing this year. If you’re a brand marketer, creative, media strategist, or just think it’s important to stay on top of business and politics, please subscribe and share with your friends and colleagues.

Ctrl+Alt+Persuade