Relevance Report 2020 Political Edition 2 | Relevance Report — 2020 Political Edition Setting the Stage Is everything political? Consumers are being inundated To navigate a hyper politicized When it comes to a US with political messaging across environment, Xandr sought to the media they consume daily. conduct research on the state Presidential Election 92,000 presidential campaign of political advertising with year, the answer might ads aired on television three main objectives in mind: just be yes. nationwide in the third week of February of this year alone. Understand voter attitudes toward politics With heightened political and political advertising. tension over the past several years, the 2016 Presidential Identify the current and 2018 Midterm Elections challenges in reaching saw political ad spend voters with an ad increase significantly. that resonates. eMarketer forecasts 2020 total ad spend to be nearly Determine the ways in 60% higher than it was in 2016. which we as brands and agencies can improve Total political ad spending (US) voters’ experience with political ads. $6.2bn This report details insights from a high-level discussion $4.8bn with political marketers in D.C., consumer focus groups, $3.9bn conducted nationwide and $3.2bn an online survey of 1,000 voters and prospective voters. What we found is that a political ad can be an effective tool to spur a voter to consider 2014 2016 2018 2020 a candidate. The caveat? Source: eMarketer, January 2020 It should create trust and relevancy for consumers. Methodology In January 2020, Xandr worked Questionnaire respondents with research and analytics In November 2019, Xandr firm, MarketCast, to conduct partnered with Advertiser three 90-minute focus groups 289 Self-identified Perceptions to host a select among 15 total Republican, Republicans group of senior-level political Democrat, and Independent marketing decision-makers voters across the United States for a 90-minute roundtable and between the ages of 18-54. discussion in Washington D.C.. 293 Self-identified Xandr also partnered with Democrats MarketCast on a 20-minute online survey of 1,000 current voters and prospective voters, 398 ages 18+. Independents 4 | Relevance Report — 2020 Political Edition Understand attitudes toward politics and political advertising. Relevance Report — 2020 Political Edition | 5 6 | Relevance Report — 2020 Political Edition The 2020 Political Landscape ‘Polarized.’ It’s the For D.C. marketing strategists, word most used by polarization has led to their “The number of people to refocus on state-level politics. respondents when target is actually shrinking With so much standoff on as politics becomes describing the current Capitol Hill, legislative battles so fractured, there are political environment. have stalled and there’s more fewer undecideds.” In fact, four in five action and money in political advertising at the state level. Marketer registered or prospective Given the extent to which the voters say that politics electorate is divided and fixed is more polarizing than to their beliefs, marketing agendas have become less ever before. The intense about moving voters and 4 in 5 opposition between more about reinforcing or voters say that politics is more political parties is challenging perceptions. polarizing than ever before. felt by marketers and The polarization acknowledged consumers alike but by voters nationwide does not necessarily translate into affects each cohort are proud negative emotions about the differently. to live in election process. 74% say they 74% the US. are proud to live in the US. Roughly three in five are thinking positively about the 2020 Election, mainly because they feel empowered by their ability to vote. Polarization 3 in 5 might be contributing, however, are thinking positively to a lack of confidence about the 2020 Election. in the current political system, with 62% reporting that they feel restricted by the two-party model. Relevance Report — 2020 Political Edition | 7 With planted positions dictating the political climate, it’s important to look at sentiment across party lines. Top driver for those that feel positively Republicans Democrats Independents 59% of Republicans feel confident about their party leadership. 37% Feeling negative about the 2020 US 30% Presidential Election 52% 51% of Democrats say candidates are addressing the issues they care about. 63% Feeling positive about the 2020 US 70% Presidential Election 48% 51% of Independents feel empowered by their ability to vote. 85% Political advertising 78% needs to exist 74% Top driver for those that feel negatively 75% Political advertising is 62% good for voters 70% of Republicans 59% distrust the media and reporting on the Election. 67% Pay attention to 56% political ads 44% of Democrats are 49% upset by lack of bipartisanship. Say political ads are a 60% 51% of Independents valuable resource for 51% how they make their distrust the media and voting decisions 43% reporting on the Election. 8 | Relevance Report — 2020 Political Edition Rules of Ad Engagement While opinions of the news media differ across parties, there is a general trend in 74% 73% television news viewing that 68% speaks to a slight preference 61% 60% 60% 56% for reporting over analysis 54% 52% and punditry. At least three in five eligible voters are tuning in to local and network Democrats news programming weekly. are more likely Not quite as many are cable news switching on cable news. viewers than Democrats, the most trusting Republicans or of the news media, are more Independents. likely cable news viewers than Network News Local News Cable News Republicans or Independents. 58% 59% 69% When they are watching television, whether news or Watch political ads on TV weekly other programming, most voters will engage with political 50%56%61% ads that appear, meaning they will watch the ads all the Read or watch political ads on news websites weekly way through. While television is the platform most likely to 49% 59% 62% capture their attention, voters are generally receptive to Listen to political ads on the radio political advertising across platforms. For Republicans 48% 58%60% and Democrats, there is over a 50% chance that on a Read or watch political ads on Facebook weekly basis they will watch, read, or listen to political ads Independents Republicans Democrats appearing on a platform with which they engage regularly1. 1 Engage regularly = at least monthly engagement. While Democrats are most It is not impossible to reach likely to engage with political an independent voter and get 60% advertising, the majority of them to pay attention to an Republicans also see the value ad. Driving engagement is key say they have read more about of and pay attention to political because voters of all parties the candidate or read more ads. Independent voters, will act on political ads that about the cause after being however, present the greatest they watch, read, or listen to. exposed to a political ad. challenge for marketers — they are not aligned with either party, skew negative toward “I try to educate myself ~1 in 3 the 2020 Election, and are least based on issues that likely to engage with political I’m passionate about. voters have talked to their ads. While difficult to connect Instead of looking along friends and family about what with, Independents are most the two‑party lines, they’ve seen in a political ad. likely to feel positively because I’ll look at sources I trust… they are empowered by their I’m more issue‑based ability to vote, which indicates rather than party‑based.” the influence of this group. They cannot be overlooked. Independent Voter 10 | Relevance Report — 2020 Political Edition Relevance Report — 2020 Political Edition | 11 The Through Line Across Party Lines “Ads help steer the direction of my There is a sentiment that research because unites the electorate and that’s sometimes you a thirst for knowledge. Across “Ads are just don’t know how parties, the overwhelming one of the tools you should start.” majority looks for opportunities of the whole to get informed. campaign…I do my Republican Voter own research after.” Through education, voters are actively looking to ‘cross Democratic the aisle’ and alleviate the Voter sense of being overwhelmed “At the end of the by polarization. Voters shared day, I will be doing an openness to hearing my own research to from opposing parties make my decision.” and various viewpoints. Independent Voter Conversations with registered and prospective voters also indicate that their Election decisions are reliant on their own independent research about candidates and causes, which presents are eager 64% the leading opportunity for to learn marketers — ads can act as more about like spending their time the catalyst for inspiring the 75% different researching different political research that voters conduct. political views. candidates and issues. Today’s voters are empowered to use the resources available to them — news archives, campaign websites, social 70% platforms, televised debates and town halls — to make agree that they need to learn more about informed decisions about 2020 Presidential candidates. choosing their political leaders. Ads are often the engine behind their decision-making journey. 12 | Relevance Report — 2020 Political Edition Identify the current challenges in reaching voters with an ad that resonates. 14 | Relevance Report — 2020 Political Edition Barriers to Ad Engagement A negative ad After a negative ad experience... experience can refl ect badly on the candidate. 48% 10% There are several will like the will like the contributing factors to candidate less. party less. a negative ad experience. Relevance Report — 2020 Political Edition | 15 Intrusiveness Last year, through a nationwide online survey, 71% 79% Xandr discovered that consumers are not necessarily anti-advertising, they’re pro-content. Consumers prefer ad-supported experiences so dislike when ads/political ads obstruct long as the ads do not intrude the content with which they’re engaging.