As Netflix plays catch-up on ad tiers, it’s clear that ads are becoming more central to the user experience across channels. In the US where political commercials reign, CTV will likely be a key platform to facilitate such messages ahead of upcoming elections. But what does this mean for the average consumer? How much of an impact can political ads really have?
As we shift away from third-party cookies, brands and marketers are utilizing data and targeting audiences to be more precisely tailored to consumers – and as ads become more prominent on streaming services, this precision means the two neighbors could receive different local political ads on the same streaming services, based on their data. And it appears this personalization can make all the difference, per the findings of a recent survey we conducted among 1,000 US-based residents aged 18 – 65 and above. The findings relay the capacity for ads to change voter beliefs, with accuracy and messaging being the top drivers for engagement. Per the survey:
- When it comes to the primary factors that make consumers engage with a political ad, 39% of consumers cite accuracy of message, 29% note the political party, and 26% say the presentation of the ad (Q7)
- 39% of consumers prefer concise (less than 30 seconds) political ads (Q6)
- 41% of consumers have changed voting beliefs or have rethought a position because of a political ad (Q8)
It’s evident that political ads have the power to sway an impressive number of consumers, and this power depends on the presentation and length nearly as much as it does on the message itself. At the same time, this doesn’t mean politicians can run amok with campaigns built on creativity and style alone. The survey also reveals:
- 62% of consumers believe the government should update laws to ensure political advertising of all mediums are legitimate, its financing transparent, and targeting is kept to a minimum (Q10)
- Interestingly enough, despite this push for legitimacy and visibility, 0% of consumers would be more likely to trust political ads if they were provided with added transparency about the source of advertising beyond what is currently required by law (Q5)
These survey findings tell us a lot about how consumers react and respond to political ads, which can have a major impact on how political advertisers promote their candidates’ messages. As marketers seek to personalize and optimize their ads based on how they accumulate consumer data, this can change the way they collect the data and how they customize the ads. It also means rising data privacy laws will redefine how politicians promote their messages, creating more opportunity for trust between the customer and the politician.