Loading...

Three audience categories for political campaign marketing

by Hayley Schneider 7 min read January 30, 2024

Reach your ideal voters in 2024 with targeted advertising

As we approach the 2024 election season, the advertising landscape is poised for tremendous growth, with political ad spending projected to surpass $10 billion. With Kamala Harris entering the race, spending priorities have moved, especially in key states like Ohio, where the Senate race alone has already seen $300 million in ad spending.Connected TV’s (CTV’s) share of political ad spending is set to jump from 2.7% in 2020 to 12.8% this year. The Harris campaign is leading the charge, allocating $200 million for digital ads, much of which will go to streaming platforms.

During this political campaign marketing season, effective audience targeting is crucial, as it holds the potential to sway voters, shape public opinion, and ultimately determine election outcomes. In this blog post, we’ll highlight political audiences that can assist political campaigns and organizations in connecting with their desired audiences in a meaningful and impactful way.

Three political campaign marketing audience categories

Over 240 politically relevant audiences are available on-the-shelf of leading TV, demand, and supply platforms to help your political partners gain share based on three political audience categories:

  1. Political affiliations
  2. Political personas
  3. Relevant ballot initiative audiences

Let’s break down each category and which audiences you can use in your political campaign marketing to target voters this upcoming election season.

Political affiliations

Political affiliations

Target audiences could include those who are likely to be in the Democratic, Independent, or Republican parties, or are likely to not be registered to a political party. Our political affiliation audiences use a foundation of voter registration data with Experian’s advanced statistical models to reach voters at scale, based on their political party.

Here are four audience segments that you can activate to target voters based on their predicted party affiliation:

  1. Political Affiliation > Democrat
  2. Political Affiliation > Republican
  3. Political Affiliation > Independent/Other
  4. Political Affiliation > Unregistered

Political personas

Political personas

One key target audience could be voters who are likely to be influenced by a political candidate’s renewable energy program. Additional target audiences could include those who are likely to be influenced by a candidate’s position on the economy or healthcare.

Here are 10 audience segments that you can activate to target voters based on their viewpoints on key political issues:

  1. Political Personas > Political Unregistered Liberal Leaning
  2. Political Personas > Political Unregistered Conservative Leaning
  3. Political Personas > Committed Democrats
  4. Political Personas > Moderate Democrats
  5. Political Personas > Political Leaning Liberals
  6. Political Personas > Liberal Leaning Independents
  7. Political Personas > Conservative Leaning Independent
  8. Political Personas > Political Leaning Conservatives
  9. Political Personas > Moderate Republicans
  10. Political Personas > Committed Republicans

To reach voters who believe the environment is a key political issue, you can layer in our GreenAware audiences with our Political Personas audiences:

  1. GreenAware > Behavioral Greens
  2. GreenAware > Think Greens
  3. GreenAware > Potential Greens
  4. GreenAware > True Browns
  5. Psychographic/Attitudes > Shopping Behavior > Smart Greens

To reach voters based on their regional voting patterns, you can use our new battleground counties and district audiences:

  1. Affiliation Switcher Counties
  2. Battleground Counties
  3. House Battleground Districts
  4. Democrat Counties
  5. Republican Counties
  6. Independent Counties

Relevant ballot initiative audiences

Relevant ballot initiative audiences

You can also reach voters based on their attitudes and behaviors related to key ballot measures. Let’s walk through a few examples below and highlight relevant syndicated audiences that you can activate during the 2024 political campaign marketing season.

Local and national ballot initiative support

Consumer behaviors are often great predictors of down-ballot initiatives. For example, military families may show favor toward initiatives supporting veterans, households with children present may show more interest in school funding, and those interested in the environment will favor green initiatives. Experian offers an array of consumer behavior and interests audiences to help you fine-tune your targeting and messaging strategies.

  1. Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Occupation > Military – Active
  2. Demographics > Presence of Children > Ages: 0-18

Charitable causes

Understanding where consumers are actively donating to charitable causes paints a clear picture into their political interests.

  1. Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Charitable Causes > Contributes to Political Charities
  2. Consumer Financial Insights > Discretionary Spend – Donations > $1,000-$1,999

Demographics

Demographics play a critical role into voter opinions with presence of children, age, and household income influencing decisions at the polls.

  1. Geo-Indexed > Demographics > Household Income: $50,000-$74,999
  2. Geo-Indexed > Demographics > Education: Bachelor Degree
  3. Demographics > Presence of Children > Ages: 10-12
  4. Demographics > Marital status > Single
  5. Demographics > Ages > 19-24
  6. Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > Moms, Parents, Families > Mothers with infant child(ren) (0-3 yrs old)

Millions of campaign dollars were wasted in the 2022 midterm elections when voters were targeted with ads for issues and candidates they couldn’t vote for. Using advances in geo-targeting can help save wasted spend and ensure relevant messages reach the right voters.

Finance

Income and large financial decisions often trigger changes in perspective and influence voter behaviors.

  1. Financial FLA Friendly1 > Income > $1,000-$24,999
  2. Financial FLA Friendly > In Market New Mortgage
  3. Financial FLA Friendly > In Market Auto Loan

Media consumption and engagement

Media consumption and engagement offers great insights into how voter interest, current channel engagement, and engagement in political issues.

  1. TrueTouch: Communication Preferences > Engagement Channel Preference > Email Engagement
  2. TrueTouch: Communication Preferences > Engagement Channel Preference > Streaming TV
  3. Social Media > Snapchat
  4. Purchase Transactions > Ad Responders > Digital
  5. Television (TV) > Ad Avoiders/Ad Acceptors > Ad Acceptors

Mosaic

Proprietary persona-based audience solution that combines demographic and behavioral data to create a holistic view of voters and their interests.

  1. Mosaic – Personas – Lifestyle and Interests > Group O: Singles and Starters > O55 – Family Troopers

Occupation

Provides the opportunity to deliver targeted messaging on measures based on a consumer’s occupation.

  1. Demographics > Occupation > Management/Business and Financial Operations
  2. Demographics > Occupation > Sales
  3. Demographics > Occupation > Farming/Fish/Forestry
  4. Consumer Behaviors > At-Home: Retired/Empty Nesters
  5. Consumer Behaviors > Occupation: Education

Personal views

Understand consumers personal views around family, their social and work life.

  1. Psychographic/Attitudes > Personal Views > Work Centered
  2. Psychographic/Attitudes > Personal Views > Family Centered
  3. Psychographic/Attitudes > Personal Views > Social Isolation

We can help you match your message to your audience

With Experian’s political audiences, you can confidently execute your political campaign marketing, knowing our audiences are based on voter registration data and advanced predictive technology. Our highly accurate models are validated by our expert audience team to ensure precise targeting and drive impact and influence with the right audience. We understand that finding a trusted data provider can be a challenge, which is why we make it easy to access our syndicated audiences.

For a full list of all of Experian’s syndicated audiences, download our syndicated audiences guide.

You can activate our political audiences on-the-shelf of most major platforms. Can’t find the audience you’re looking for or need a custom audience? Connect with our audience team for more information.

Footnote

  1. “Fair Lending Friendly” indicates data fields that Experian has made available without use of certain demographic attributes that may increase the likelihood of discriminatory practices prohibited by the Fair Housing Act (“FHA”) and Equal Credit Opportunity Act (“ECOA”). These excluded attributes include, but may not be limited to, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, disability, handicap, family status, ancestry, sexual orientation, unfavorable military discharge, and gender. Experian’s provision of Fair Lending Friendly indicators does not constitute legal advice or otherwise assures your compliance with the FHA, ECOA, or any other applicable laws. Clients should seek legal advice with respect to your use of data in connection with lending decisions or application and compliance with applicable laws.

Latest posts

Loading…
Experian at CES 2024: Four key trends in advertising

Every year, the Experian team attends the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, to immerse ourselves in the world's most significant consumer tech showcase and stay at the forefront of the latest technological advancements and innovations that shape the AdTech industry. This year's event was a vibrant melting pot of innovation and vision, from streamers taking a bigger bite of the advertising pie to the emergence of AI-powered solutions and drone delivery services. Amidst these advancements, the dynamic interplay of technology, media, and advertising raised important questions, especially in the context of evolving regulations and cookie deprecation. During CES, we captured insights from various thought leaders, and in the coming months, we'll be sharing these valuable perspectives with you. Watch the video below for full insights coming from our content studio onsite during the event. Or, keep reading for a recap on four key trends from CES and what they mean for your business in 2024! “My first CES was a major success. You could feel the buzz in the air as new ideas and partnerships were being created within and across industries. The intersection of the different players within retail media, connected TV, retail technology, the demand and supply-side, and agencies all in an ever-changing world of regulation and privacy begs for a solution that can maximize a successful outcome for all.”anne passon, sr director, sales, retail & cpg 1.  Audience targeting: How first- and third-party data work together A central theme at CES was the importance of audience targeting, highlighting the crucial role of first-party data. However, it’s clear that to maximize its potential, this data needs to be augmented with sophisticated identity solutions and enriched with third-party insights, all while navigating the complexities of privacy regulations. This integrated approach is vital to understanding audiences and for creating more effective marketing strategies that comply with privacy regulations. 2. Standardizing metrics in retail media networks The challenges around retail media networks, particularly in terms of standardizing metrics like incremental return on ad spend (iROAS), were a hot topic at CES. This complexity around this topic underscores the need for neutral, expert third parties to help bring clarity and consensus, aiding businesses in navigating this multifaceted domain. 3. The challenge of switching data solutions Discussions covered the broader challenges associated with transitioning to new data solutions. For businesses, this involves a critical assessment of the benefits versus the costs and complexities of adopting new platforms or systems. This decision-making process is increasingly significant as data strategies become integral to marketing success. 4. Identity solutions in a cookieless future With the industry moving toward a cookieless future, the spotlight at CES was on the importance of robust identity solutions. Understanding the functionality and necessity of various universal IDs is essential to minimize data loss and maintain effective targeting. Investing in flexible and adaptable identity solutions like the Experian Graph is essential to maintain effective targeting and audience engagement in this new landscape. Announcements and advertising innovations at CES 2024 CES was a stage for significant announcements and innovative marketing initiatives: Criteo and Albertsons announced their collaboration in retail media. Instacart's partnership with Google for enhanced shopping ads and AI shopping carts. NBCUniversal's advancements in streamlining programmatic advertising. Brands like Netflix, LG, Freewheel, and Amazon Ads also captured attention with their creative marketing strategies, ranging from unique collaborations to themed promotions and captivating events. These insights from CES provide a glimpse into the future of technology, media, and advertising. They highlight the need for adaptability, innovation, and informed decision-making in these dynamic industries, especially in the context of privacy regulations. Stay tuned for our series of posts where we'll dive deeper into these topics, sharing exclusive insights from industry thought leaders.  Follow us on LinkedIn or sign up for our email newsletter for more informative content on the latest industry insights and data-driven marketing. Latest posts

Published: Jan 18, 2024 by Hayley Schneider

The current climate of ad-supported TV

Short-form video content is becoming more prevalent on video-sharing platforms. Keep up with trends and marketing strategies to stay relevant.

Published: Jan 10, 2024 by Experian Marketing Services

How accurate third-party data leads the way for advertisers

Experian received top ranks for hashed emails (HEMs) and demographic data from Truthset Data Collective  Advertisers, technology partners, and agencies are all chasing accurate data to power their marketing strategies. Turns out, not all data is created equal and unless you’re working with the right partner, high-quality data can be hard to find. That’s because accuracy can vary widely across the industry and the partner you choose is important. A recent study conducted by data validation company Truthset showed that 51% of the data used for ad targeting and audience measurement is wrong, with average accuracy rates ranging between 32%-69% across data providers. The data quality challenge The lack of high-quality data poses multiple challenges in the advertising world:   Wasted ad spend: without accurate data at the start, marketers can’t reach the right audiences, resulting in wasted impressions.  Privacy and compliance: in an increasingly privacy-centric world, advertisers need to be especially mindful of accurate targeting to avoid putting their brand reputation at risk.  Poor campaign performance: low-quality data skews metrics and attribution models, making it difficult to measure campaign success and optimize spend.  Low-quality data can come in different forms like inconsistent or outdated information – think demographics (age, gender) and interests (dog versus cat lover) or simply the wrong relationship can be made between datasets. Data records can be incomplete or duplicative and data segments could be misclassified or inaccurate. For example, a kids snack food company may think they’re targeting a 35-year old man, who lives in the suburbs with his young family when in fact it’s a 65-year-old woman who moved to the city after her kids went to college. It’s wasted dollars!Build the data foundation Data quality needs to be addressed if advertisers and advertising technology partners want to fulfill consumers’ demand for personalized marketing. Per eMarketer, more than 75% of internet users worldwide said they were willing to share their email address, brand interest, and name in exchange for personalized experiences. Without accurate data, marketers won’t be able to provide the level of personalization that consumers desire.   Validation can help advertisers evaluate third party data and help build trust across the ecosystem. Companies like Truthset review and provide an unbiased evaluation of data fidelity and quality on a regular basis.  "As cookies and mobile ad identifiers continue to phase out, consented, durable identifiers (hashed email, postal addresses) are going to serve as the foundation for identity solutions of the future,” said Chip Russo, President at Truthset. “And the only way to ensure you are transacting on the highest quality identity and demography data is to actively validate the data you rely on with a third party.”  Not all data is created equal: Experian leads the way In Q3 2023 Truthset reviewed Experian’s marketing data – as well as several other large data providers – and found:   Experian is the #1 data provider in terms of largest volume of high-accuracy hashed e-mails (HEMs) with demographic data  Experian ranks #1 in accuracy for 15 marketing data attributes, including but not limited to Age, Gender, Home Owner/Renter, Geography, Education, Presence of Children, and Pet Owner   Experian consistently has the largest number of HEMs with demographic data that are 90% or more likely to be accurate  “As a member of the Truthset Data Collective, Experian received top ranks across a variety of categories for its data,” continued Russo. “The entire digital advertising world runs on data, but focusing on data accuracy is going to drive the next phase of innovation for the industry, enhancing ROI for advertisers, CPMs for publishers, and relevant experiences for consumers.”  As Truthset's recent study highlights, the data matched between hashed e-mails and postal addresses is crucial, underpinning everything from targeted ads to TV audience measurement. Highly accurate HEMs linked to high-quality demographic data should be the foundation of any marketing plan. Advertisers are able to overcome the complexities of identity resolution by tying online and offline touchpoints together to deliver a consistent message across channels.  Companies are striving to eliminate marketing waste and provide consumers with personalized marketing and the advertising industry can have confidence that Experian’s marketing data has been externally validated as being highly accurate. The accuracy of our data will power smarter marketing initiatives, like insights, targeting, identity, and measurement.  Let's start a conversation about how we can fully realize the potential of data-driven advertising together.  Contact us today   Latest posts

Published: Jan 05, 2024 by Eric Farkas

Subscribe to our newsletter

Enter your name and email for the latest updates

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

About Experian Marketing Services

At Experian Marketing Services, we use data and insights to help brands have more meaningful interactions with people. As leaders in the evolution of the advertising landscape, Experian Marketing Services can help you identify your customers and the right potential customers, uncover the most appropriate communication channels, develop messages that resonate, and measure the effectiveness of marketing activities and campaigns.

Visit our website

Subscribe to our newsletter

Stay up to date on the latest industry news and receive expert tips from our marketing experts.
Subscribe now!