10 things brands can learn from this election cycle
As we look at the tactics being employed by the campaigning teams behind the Presidential candidates, there are key lessons brands can learn:
- It’s time to diversify away from Meta. In the past three months, the candidates have spent 84% more on Google than Meta. It’s no surprise to see this trend; we have seen, in recent years, rising costs and migrating users mean Meta’s becoming less effective than its heyday — with ROAS now being 0.5 on the channel, versus 2.75 for search and increasingly competitive returns from PMAX approaches. If you’re not already, you should test into non-Meta channels, to ensure you’re diversifying; be that on Google, or even on rising channels, such as TikTok where tomorrow’s consumer is already migrating to.
- Be quick, even if it means your creative doesn’t feel perfect. In an ad that is clearly working, as it is still actively being promoted, a text-only ad that appears to have been written on a phone is being promoted by Harris, calling for people to donate to her campaign. For non-profits, who often struggle to get creative live fast around emergencies and crises, this shows that sometimes, being fast is best; and that while they’re waiting for imagery and creative to land, marketers should consider incorporating a rapid text-only advert launch in the first few hires of a crisis, to be quick to market. Sometimes, it’s just as important to be the first one talking about an issue, as it is to be finessed.
- Upscale — and be responsive. On 22 August, around the time of the Democratic National Convention, the Harris campaign upscaled from an average daily spend of $0.8M to $2.9M on Meta — following a similar (but less aggressive) pattern on Google, where spend increased from an average of $0.9M to $1.2M. For many brands, a similar learning may be to increase spend around key moments of seasonality or to align paid media operations with wider PR cycles, to ensure channels and moments are working collectively as one.
- Utilize larger 4:5 aspect ratio and Story creatives. We have grown used to leaning on 1:1 variants, in the creative we mostly produce — but the Harris campaign is serving both 1:1 and 4:5 ratios in Meta newsfeeds, in a smart move that takes up more screen and captures more attention as a result. This is a trend that’s also being taken to Stories, where vertical ads are being run. Whenever creating a campaign, brands should consider shaping creative for a range of formats, even on the same channel — to ensure they’re testing and learning what works best.
- Don’t overlook the power of a banner. The Harris campaign, which is impactfully driving donations, is making the use of urgent, red banners at the top or bottom of their adverts. This tactic ensures the CTA remains clear throughout any video, avoiding the need for audiences to complete the video before an end-screen “Donate” ask. Brands should consider incorporating, for low-funnel asks, banners throughout their assets, to capture attention and nurture conversion throughout. With the rise of SMS and shortcodes, this is likely to be a tactic we see resurge.
- Test your CTA language time and again. For years, in the political field, the term “chip in” has been a language that’s driven stronger conversion than typical “donate” language. It feels lower-barrier, more informal — and was a prominent tactic used in the Obama campaign. Clearly, this is something that’s still working; with the Harris campaign testing “chip in” language versus “donate weekly” language. Organizations should test a range of ways of angling their CTAs, incorporating more informal and human sounding language to elicit higher response rates.
- Ask for a lower amount, then nurture up. While a $5 weekly donation might not sound like much, it’s only the beginning — and once a person converts, they’re entered into highly-targeted email campaigns where they’re sent frequent and urgent follow-up emails asking for audiences to upgrade or give higher-value one off gifts to help Harris hit her campaign targets. Brands shouldn’t look at Paid Media as being the end of the road, from a journey perspective — and should ensure they’re looking, more holistically, at the collective role their email channels are playing in tandem with Paid Media to nurture income and drive ROI.
- Lean into the power of partnerships and endorsement. A huge part of Harris’ campaign, at present, is the endorsements she is receiving from both Barack and Michelle Obama. On Google, Barack Obama is endorsing and calling for US citizens to donate to her campaign — while on YouTube, Michelle Obama is being used as a prominent voice. For brands who are trying to build trust and consideration, this is a key tactic that shouldn’t be overlooked; identifying figures that crossover with your mission and target audience, then partnering with them to shape content that can help break down any trust barriers, fast.
- Identify and tap into bespoke data sources. The Harris campaign is using Mundial Media to serve contextual targeting — a platform that focuses heavily on growing segments within marginalized Hispanic, Black, AAPI, & LGBTQ+ communities. This is a smart tactic, by Harris, to increase her campaign’s reach among key supporter profiles — and bespoke data sources can be found for most brands’ audiences. From solutions like TargetSmart which can generate sophisticated profiles for data matching, to industry-specific data providers with high reach among certain job titles and industry professions.
- Don’t be scared to be bold on Paid Search. If there’s one thing that springs out in any election cycle, it’s the attack ad. We see them, time and again, in elections here and overseas — and they’re an impactful way to nudge undecided audiences, who are still making up their mind. For brands, this could include intercepting competitor brand searches with strong, interruptive messaging that showcases how your USP is stronger; or they can be used to slowly tap away at their market share, sowing doubt in the mind of their customers while you simultaneously raise consideration of your brand in their minds.
