How To Manage Ad Spend During the 2024 Election Season
As we approach the 2024 election season, many marketers are concerned about the potential impact of political advertising on their campaigns. Will the influx of political ad spend inflate costs for non-political advertisers? Are audiences even paying attention to ads ahead of the election? Let’s dive into the data and separate fact from fiction.
The Big Picture: Political Ad Spend in Context
Recent data from The Trade Desk provides valuable insights into the realities of political ad spend:
1. Overall Impact: Political ad buys in 2024 will account for just 3.1% of total U.S. media spend. These buys are also short-term, peaking in October. This suggests that the impact on the broader advertising landscape may be less significant than many fear.
2. Channel Distribution: The majority of political budgets are allocated to traditional channels:
Over 75% of political ad spend in 2024 has been directed to broadcast and cable TV.
Other popular channels include social media and radio.
3. Geographic Concentration: Political ad spend is not evenly distributed across the country:
Three-fifths of political ad buys are at the state level.
Among presidential campaigns, 76% of ad spend is concentrated in just six swing states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
4. Historical CPM Trends: Looking at previous election cycles, we see that:
The highest average quarterly CPMs for political CTV ads didn’t occur in Q4 when political spending was most active.
The average monthly CPM range for the entire year varied by just $2.
What This Means for Advertisers
1. Limited Overall Impact: Most advertisers should feel minimal effects from the influx of political ad spend.
2. Localized Effects: Brands running local media buys in competitive swing states may see a rise in CPMs across social and traditional media, presenting a prime opportunity to test ads on newer platforms like DOOH, audio, display and OLV.
3. Q4 Considerations: The Q4 holiday season will likely have a more significant impact on CPMs than the election season.
4. Audience Targeting: The demographic targeting used by most brands often differs from that of political campaigns, reducing direct competition for ad inventory.
Consumer Perceptions and Opportunities
Recent research from iSpot reveals some surprising insights about consumer attitudes toward advertising during election seasons:
While 23% of Americans report being annoyed by political ads, this annoyance doesn’t generally extend to brand advertisements.
Only 15% reported increased annoyance with all ads during political campaigns.
10% said they trust brand messaging less when political ads are present.
Most interestingly, 37% of respondents reported that the presence of political ads actually makes them pay more attention to other advertisements they see. This suggests a potential opportunity for brands to capture more audience attention during the election season.
Strategies for Success
1. Stay Agile: Monitor CPMs in your key markets and be prepared to adjust strategies if needed, especially in swing states.
2. Leverage Different Channels: Consider diversifying your media mix to include channels less impacted by political ad spend.
3. Refine Targeting: Focus on audience segments that are less likely to overlap with political campaign targets.
4. Create Standout Content: With increased consumer attention during political seasons, invest in creative that cuts through the noise and resonates with your audience.
5. Plan Ahead: If you’re concerned about potential CPM increases, consider securing ad inventory early, especially for Q4 campaigns.
By understanding the realities of political ad spend and its impact on the broader advertising landscape, marketers can navigate the 2024 election season with confidence. While there may be some localized effects in key battleground states, the overall impact on most advertising campaigns is likely to be minimal. With the right strategy and approach, the election season can even present unique opportunities for brands to capture consumer attention and drive meaningful engagement.
Advertising on Netflix: What You Should Know
As of this year, cord-cutters, or those who don’t pay for cable or satellite TV, outnumber households that do have a linear TV subscription. The preference for a more diverse range of content, fewer commercials and no contracts has upended the traditional model of TV advertising, making CTV/OTT an integral part of a balanced media strategy for brands, not just a nice-to-have, to connect with target audiences.
Streaming giant Netflix, one of the last holdouts for commercial-free streaming, entered the OTT advertising space in 2022 with an ad-supported membership option for budget-conscious viewers. Until recently, only select advertisers had access to its ad inventory. In March 2024, the streamer partnered with several prominent ad networks and demand-side platforms, expanding inventory and offering brands a new opportunity to engage with audiences.
Opportunity For Early Adopters
Nearly two years since its launch, the new subscription tier has amassed more than 40 million monthly active users globally, and over 70% watch more than 10 hours per month. Netflix also accounts for 7.3% of time spent with digital by US adults this year, behind only Meta and YouTube, with active US users projected to spend over an hour a day on average on the platform.
Despite Netflix becoming a bigger and bigger part of consumers’ lives, according to eMarketer, the streaming giant makes up only 0.3% of total digital ad spending. That means early adopters who get in before the competition grows could enjoy a larger audience and lower CPMs.
How to Reach Netflix Subscribers
Netflix offers two ad options: pre-roll and mid-roll ads. Ads can be 10-75 seconds long, and viewers will see approximately four minutes of ads per hour of viewing, which they cannot fast-forward or skip through. Advertisers can target by content preferences and audience demographics, giving ample opportunity for personalized ad experiences that connect with viewers.
Add Some Tudum To Your Media Strategy
Whether your brand is just starting to explore CTV/OTT opportunities or is ready to add Netflix to an already healthy media spread, the paid media specialists at TriMark Digital offer expert management strategies to maximize your ad spend.
Navigating the August 2024 Google Core Update: What You Need to Know
Google’s August 2024 core update has officially started to roll out, and it’s already making a noticeable impact on the SEO world. It’s partly designed as a corrective measure to restore the negative effects of 2023’s Helpful Content Update that sparked concern from small and independent publishers. Despite the optimism leading up to August’s rollout, Google did confirm a ranking bug shortly after it began. They’ve since fixed the issue and maintain that the ranking bug was unrelated to the August 2024 update.
What’s New in the August 2024 Core Update?
According to John Mueller, Google’s Search Advocate, this recent core update is part of an ongoing effort to improve search results by promoting genuinely useful content. Mueller mentioned that this update does take into account feedback they have received from some publishers over the last few months who have been producing high-quality, user-focused content, which aligns with Google’s long-term focus of providing reliable and relevant information.
In July, Google’s Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, hinted that a core update would be rolling out soon, then Google confirmed on August 15th. In the weeks leading up, SERP volatility tools had been registering high volatility levels due to several rankings fluctuations already taking place.
As with any algorithm change, this one had a significant amount of excitement that has since been tempered by several key factors:
A Ranking Bug Disrupted Results: Less than 24 hours after the update began, Google confirmed a ranking bug. This issue caused additional volatility in search rankings, making it difficult to accurately gauge the full impact of the update. Google has since confirmed that the bug was fixed on August 20.
Month-Long Rollout: Similar to some of the more recent core updates, this one is expected to take about one month to fully deploy. That means the search landscape will remain fluid for the coming weeks. In the past, core updates typically took around two weeks to fully roll out. However, that trend was broken during the March 2024 Core Update, which took 45 days.
AI Overviews and Expanded Features: Google also announced that they have expanded AI-generated overviews in search results, which now include more links and are visible even to signed-out users. This could further influence the visibility and performance of certain content.
What Are SEOs and Publishers Seeing So Far?
The early feedback from the SEO community is mixed:
Minimal Immediate Impact: The majority of sites have not seen a noticeable change in rankings. This is not unusual during the early stages of a core update.
Signs of Recovery for Some: Interestingly, websites that were hit hard by the September 2023 helpful content update are beginning to show slight increases in visibility. However, these sites are still well below their previous performance levels and still a long way away from fully recovered.
Unpredictable Shifts in Rankings: Some sites, including those untouched by recent updates, are experiencing both positive and negative ranking changes. This reinforces the notion that core updates can affect a wide range of sites, regardless of whether or not they were previously impacted.
Why Does This Matter?
Understanding the full impact of the August 2024 core update will take time. With both the update and the expansion of AI overviews, it’s difficult to predict how the update will impact SERP pages and website performance. In this period of uncertainty, it’s important to stay informed and to closely monitor your site’s metrics.
What Should You Do Next?
As always, Google’s advice remains consistent: focus on creating high-quality, user-centered content. While the ranking fluctuations can be frustrating, recovery often depends more on long-term improvements to content and user experience than on quick fixes.
Avoid jumping to conclusions early on or attempting any major shifts. Core updates will continue to impact SERPs until the rollout is complete. Although Google reduced the number of times they show up, AI overviews are already adding another layer of disruption in overall rankings. Core updates and AI overviews impact rankings differently, which is why monitoring performance and creating valuable, high-quality content for your audience is important.
It’s also helpful to keep a pulse on industry chatter. Online SEO publications, like Search Engine Roundtable, share regular updates about various patterns and insights; they often contain clues and insider tips that can be especially valuable during these transitional periods. Remember, the core update won’t impact every site in the same way—some sites may see gains while others experience setbacks. Even if your website is unaffected, we still encourage you to stay in the know about how these trends are shaping the broader landscape.
Final Thoughts
The August 2024 core update could be a pivotal moment for many websites, especially those still feeling the effects of previous updates. However, with AI overviews expanding and a month-long rollout still ahead, the ultimate impact could remain unclear for several weeks.
In the meantime, continue focusing on quality content and stay adaptable and patient as the update progresses. Whether this update brings improvement or further challenges, a proactive, consistent, user-first approach will always position you for success in the ever-evolving SEO landscape.
From Trend to Triumph: The Art of Reactive Marketing
Remember this guy?
It’s a simple, short TikTok of a man skateboarding while drinking a bottle of Ocean Spray cranberry juice, lip-syncing to “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac.
Defying the odds, this seemingly random clip went viral. Perhaps it resonated with many people’s innate desire to feel carefree. Perhaps it inspired people to find simple joys at a time when the world was on lockdown from the COVID-19 pandemic. Whatever the case, this TikTok was a whole vibe back in 2020. The man—Nathan Apodaca—inspired thousands of similar copycat videos, including Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood themselves.
As a direct result, Ocean Spray’s sales skyrocketed, alongside streams and purchases of the song “Dreams.” Appreciative of the free marketing and wholesome publicity, Ocean Spray gifted Nathan a cranberry red-colored truck packed full of cranberry juice bottles. By doing so, Ocean Spray gave a masterclass on the power of reactive marketing and how to successfully surf a viral trend—without taking away its momentum.
In a world where attention spans are short, and the next viral phenomenon is one scroll away, brands that master the art of reactive marketing will not only stay relevant but also triumph in creating memorable and meaningful interactions with their audience.
Viral Moments and Reactive Marketing
The digital marketing landscape has grown significantly, with platforms like TikTok, Instagram, X and YouTube offering brands new opportunities to create content that directly engages and connects with their audiences. As technology has become more accessible, “going viral” has emerged as a powerful marketing strategy that brands can use to stay relevant and connect with their audience.
Reactive marketing, by definition, is a strategy where brands place their product or service in channels where people are already actively looking. In the context of this blog, it’s improvising your marketing campaign to respond to real-time trends, events, topics, news, etc. in order to stay relevant and top-of-mind for your audiences. It’s also an effective strategy to increase brand awareness and good will towards your brand, as Ocean Spray demonstrated in the example above. How can your brand do something similar without seeming inauthentic?
5 Tips for Reactive Marketing
Let’s explore strategies to be “in” on the joke or trend du jour that’s at the top of everyone’s minds and adapt it in a way that resonates with your audience.
1. Monitor Trends
Stay informed and on top of what’s trending. Be vigilant about monitoring social media platforms, news outlets and pop culture trends. Tools like social listening platforms (e.g., Hootsuite, Sprout Social) can help track mentions and conversations around your products, services or overall industry. By being aware of what’s trending, you can quickly identify opportunities to join the conversation.
Consider Duolingo’s unorthodox strategy:
Duolingo’s marketing tactics are often described as “unhinged.” Duolingo is quick to jump on trending topics and memes, often incorporating them into their (sometimes absurd and over-the-top) content in a way that’s both humorous and relevant to their language-learning app.
2. Embrace Agility and Flexibility
In the world of reactive marketing—and marketing in general—timing is everything. Brands must be agile, adaptable and ready to change their marketing strategies at a moment’s notice. Ideally, this means having a marketing agency or team that’s empowered to respond quickly with a streamlined approval process. The faster you can react to a viral moment, the more authentic and relevant your engagement will feel.
In 2019, Peloton released a commercial featuring a husband gifting his wife a stationary bike for Christmas. It went viral because it was widely criticized for its perceived sexist and classist undertones. The actress from the ad, dubbed the “Peloton Wife,” was mocked across social media.
Not one to miss a moment, Ryan Reynolds’ digital marketing agency cast the same actress, Monica Ruiz, in a commercial for Reynolds’ (now sold) brand, Aviation Gin. The ad playfully suggests that “Peloton Wife” is enjoying a night out with friends, toasting to new beginnings with gin. The campaign was well-received and praised for its humor and quick response to a trending topic. This marketing move not only capitalized on the existing buzz but also demonstrated the power of reactive marketing:
3. Always Lead with Sensitivity and Awareness (or else)
Be wary, though: While speed is crucial, it’s equally important to act with sensitivity and awareness. Be mindful of the context surrounding a viral moment and avoid controversial or potentially offensive content. A well-intentioned response can backfire if it comes across as insensitive or tone-deaf. Always consider the broader implications and potential impact on different audiences.
Exhibit A: Kendall Jenner saves America’s thorniest issues with a Pepsi
Often cited as a poor example of reactive marketing, the ad attempted to capitalize on social justice movements by depicting Kendall Jenner joining a protest and then seemingly resolving tensions with police by offering a Pepsi. Pepsi and Jenner were widely criticized for trivializing serious social justice issues and co-opting the imagery of real-life protests for commercial gain. The ad was seen as tone-deaf, lacking genuine understanding or empathy for the causes it referenced, and was quickly pulled after facing significant backlash. The controversy highlights the dangers of using sensitive social issues as marketing tools without a deep understanding—and respectful engagement—with the context.
4. Stay On-Brand and Be Authentic
While you may want to jump on every viral trend, it’s crucial to ensure that the response aligns with your brand’s voice and core values. Authenticity should be the number one priority if you’re trying to maintain credibility with consumers. Don’t force a connection if it isn’t there; people can sense inauthenticity from a mile away. The goal is to enhance your brand’s identity, not dilute it.
Stanley, known for its durable drinkware, went viral after an incident involving a woman whose car caught fire. Unbelievably, her Stanley cup survived the blaze, with the ice still inside, remaining mostly intact:
Touched by her story, Stanley gifted her a new car and a new supply of their branded drinkware. This act of generosity, combined with the unexpected durability test of their product, captured widespread attention on social media. The event showcased the product’s toughness and resilience as well as Stanley’s commitment to its customers, resulting in positive publicity and a significant boost in brand image.
5. Use Humor and Creativity
Humor and creativity are often at the heart of viral moments. Brands that can craft clever and/or humorous responses are more likely to resonate with audiences. For instance, when the “Grimace shake” trend took off, McDonald’s leaned into the absurdity by creating lighthearted content that played along with the joke. The content entertained their audience and showed that the brand has a sense of humor, appealing to a younger generation of consumers.
Initially, McDonald’s launched the Grimace Shake to celebrate the birthday of one of the brand’s characters, Grimace. The trend took off unexpectedly on social media, especially TikTok, where users created humorous and absurd videos depicting fictional, often spooky scenarios after consuming the shake. McDonald’s allowed the trend to evolve organically without interfering and engaged with it subtly by posting on their X:
McDonald’s successfully capitalized on the unexpected user-generated content, boosting brand visibility and connecting with younger audiences in an authentic and humorous way.
McDonald’s Senior Marketing Director Guillaume Huin said: “Saying nothing felt disconnected, encouraging it felt self-serving, so we just decided to show our fans that we see them and their creativity in a sweet, candid and genuine way […] The same way you would respectfully and gently nod at someone, without repeating what they said to show you agree with them and stealing their thunder.”
5. Leverage User-Generated Content
Viral moments often involve user-generated content (UGC), where people create and share their own interpretations or experiences. TikTok especially has made UGC more popular by providing users with accessible tools to be creative with their content. Brands can amplify these moments of engagement by sharing or highlighting UGC, giving a platform to fans and creating a sense of community. Encouraging UGC also fosters a more interactive and engaging experience for consumers.
In our first example with Ocean Spray, the company encouraged other users to participate in the trend by sharing and promoting user-generated content that featured their product in a similar format to the original video. Even celebrities were in on the trend! This strategy helped keep the momentum going and showcased the brand’s relevance and responsiveness:
The Power of Reactive Marketing
Reactive marketing is not just about being quick to jump on the bandwagon; it’s about seizing the moment with authenticity, sensitivity and creativity. The power of a viral moment lies in its ability to connect with audiences on a personal level. By embracing these moments, brands can enhance visibility and develop genuine connections with consumers.
Curious about what brands the TriMark team thinks knocked it out of the park with their campaigns? Read our blog on our favorite ads.
Optimize Your Campaigns With Google’s New Customer Acquisition Goal
Modern digital marketing is crowded. Myriad brands are jockeying for attention from potential customers in a space flooded with competition. On top of competing with other brands, you’re also trying to spend ad dollars effectively to reach the right audience. That’s what makes Google Ads’ new feature a game-changer for smart marketers.
The New Customer Acquisition (NCA) goal in Google Ads is a tool that allows advertisers to optimize campaigns for acquiring new customers only, rather than simply anyone who clicks on an ad. However, it’s not plug-and-play: you’ll need to set it up to capture the right leads for your business. Below, we’ll guide you through how the New Customer Acquisition goal works and how you can leverage it for your campaigns.
What Does the New Customer Acquisition Goal Do?
It might be easiest to start by defining the holes that New Customer Acquisition fills. We use Google’s conversion tags and customer list upload features to exclude all converters from our campaigns, preventing ads from targeting existing customers. Though effective in most cases, this method has limitations due to factors like audience size requirements.
With the new NCA goal, Google introduces more methods to classify customers as new or existing, helping you easily find and convert new prospects while staying organized. Here are some of the changes:
Automatic detection: Potential customer detection is automatically enabled when you select the “new customer” acquisition goal. Google uses your conversion data from the last 540 days to create an audience of existing customers and will not consider those users in ad auctions.
Customer list uploads: Advertisers can upload their own first-party data via customer match lists. Any user not found on those lists will be considered a new customer. Ideally, these lists should contain at least 1,000 users for matching purposes, but you can input fewer.
Conversion tracking tags: Google has a new conversion tracking tag that will label each website conversion as “new,” “existing” or “unknown.” While this is the most technical method, it tends to be the most accurate. The tags can be implemented via the Global Site Tag on your website or by using Google Tag Manager.
It’s important to remember that none of these methods are 100% accurate due to tracking and privacy limitations. We recommend using a combination of these three methods if you want to limit ad spend on existing customers. Also, the definition of a “new” customer can vary by business/vertical, and it may not be a great idea to only optimize for new customers in all of your campaigns.
What Does This Look Like for Marketing Campaigns?
A quick-service restaurant, for example, may not want to remove an existing customer from its campaigns indefinitely, but just for a few weeks or months after a purchase. On the other hand, a replacement window company may want to remove existing customers for a few years, since new windows are a much higher investment and less frequently purchased item.
Using Google’s New Customer Acquisition goal can be particularly helpful for branded search campaigns—existing customers are likely to search your brand name if they need to contact you and can find your contact info easily, such as through your Google Business Profile or in the organic results.
Elevate Your Spend Tactics
Whether you’re looking to keep up with Google’s latest algorithm changes or want to know more about why audience segmentation matters to your marketing campaigns, we’ve got the insights you need to make informed choices when setting up campaigns. Looking for more ideas on how you can make your marketing work smarter? Reach out.
Third-Party Cookies Are Here to Stay, At Least for Now!
Preparations for a major shift in the digital advertising industry were put on pause this week as Google’s plans for a big change on the horizon were abruptly canceled.
Amid growing data privacy concerns, Google announced in 2020 that it was officially phasing out third-party cookies, a mechanism used for online tracking and advertising. However, after multiple delays and scrutiny from advertisers and government organizations (including the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority), Google has reconsidered and will now explore a new path for protecting user privacy while keeping cookies in place.
The 2020 announcement came in the wake of several other key privacy-oriented developments in the industry at the time, such as:
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which have expanded to Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia and Utah
iOS 14.5 in 2021, which offered users new privacy controls
Encouraged by the stability and, in many cases, growth of our digital campaigns over the last few years, TriMark’s Paid Media team has come to embrace these privacy initiatives with eyes and arms wide open.
The Latest Update
Google shared the news on Monday in an article published on their Privacy Sandbox blog. Regarding what prompted the change, Google stated that eliminating third-party cookies would require “significant work” by members of the online advertising community and would have a major impact on both advertisers and publishers. They noted that, therefore, they will now focus on a new approach that instead “elevates user choice” when it comes to their privacy.
Another development noted in the blog is Google’s intention to offer more privacy controls for all users, including IP Protection in Incognito mode on Chrome, similar to Apple’s iCloud Private Relay feature that launched alongside iOS 15 in 2021.
For context, Google’s Privacy Sandbox launched in 2019 as a set of open standards designed to protect user privacy while still allowing companies to build thriving online businesses through ads.
Originally slated to disappear in 2022, the balancing act of appeasing both regulatory bodies and advertisers forced Google to push the cookie deprecation initiative three times since 2020, the latest of which occurred in April of this year.
What’s Next?
Initial commentary suggests that the onus of privacy protection will be placed back on the users. On Chrome, users will have the option to share their information with websites and advertisers, similar to iOS’s “ask app not to track” option. It seems like Google is taking a page from its fellow FAANG member’s playbook, Apple, to find practical but effective ways to handle this delicate situation.
Although the convenience of this change not happening is undeniable, advertisers should remain committed to collecting first-party data and leveraging privacy-conscious solutions for their clients and the end user.
The Path Forward for Digital Advertising
Ultimately, TriMark’s goal is to drive strong performance while also providing privacy, security and peace of mind for your web visitors.
We balance both goals without compromising campaign performance by:
Capturing and acting on first-party data wherever possible, both for use in retargeting and building lookalike models
Using Salesforce and other CRM integrations to track leads through to the final sale
Implementing cookieless solutions like Adelphic/TTD/El Toro, which allow us to target without relying on third-party cookies
Appending opt-in language on ad units when necessary, like Meta Instant Forms
Are your campaigns set up for success in today’s shifting paid media landscape? Let’s talk.
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