How the 2020 Presidential Election Has Affected Advertising
E
lection seasons are a pivotal and challenging time for brands. Finding the right cadence, tone, and ability to engage and connect with consumers is a hard balance to achieve. It's far easier to isolate and alienate consumers than it is to speak authentically on a universal level.
Now that the election is only days away, it's hard not to wonder how the election season has affected advertising and how marketers have been connecting with consumers. Is 2020 the election year that has caused brands to be bolder — and in some ways, more upfront with their missions, due to both the political turmoil and effects of COVID-19?
This election season has been particularly difficult for brands; however, in many ways, it has forced brands to reinvent their purposes and missions quickly — and connect those missions to helping consumers and providing invaluable products, especially during COVID-19.
Successful brands used this harrowing moment as an opportunity to insert themselves into the overarching conversation to foster change — and connect the current political moment to products. Increasing voter turnout, for instance, became a social corporate initiative for many brands — encouraging people to vote and use their voice.
Ben & Jerry's has been using the time before the election to educate people on voting, as well as promote positivity, diversity, and the power of individual voices through its lighthearted brand voice on social media.
The presidential race may get all the headlines, but local elections can have a BIG impact on your day-to-day life. Pledge to vote now and make your voice heard on Election Day: https://t.co/SgB9cVuw1y pic.twitter.com/8Ru7Ay8aMy
— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) October 23, 2020
In a lot of ways, brands are, perhaps, more personal and integral in consumers' lives than ever before, both as a result of social media and the pandemic. This invariably also allowed brands to connect with people in a time of need, uplift them and their voices, and illustrate their missions and brand purposes, which ultimately raises brand awareness.
According to Harvard Business Review, companies who encourage employees and consumers to vote contributes to increasing turnout, as found by the 2018 midterm elections and efforts by companies such as Spotify, Target, and Twitter.
As discussed in a recent ANA report, The Global Strategy Group's July 2018 study found that "76 percent of people were more likely to work for a company that promoted democracy, while Adweek reported that 88 percent of consumers, both Democrats and Republicans, felt Patagonia's decision to give employees a paid day off to vote on election day was appropriate — and sets a precedence for everyone to participate."
Meeting people where they are is the most emotionally resonant way to connect with people. Ashley Spillane, the founder of Impactual LLC, a social impact firm that works with philanthropists and nonprofits, stated:
"I remind companies all the time that they know their employees and consumers best: how to talk to them, how to motivate them, how to deliver important information to them. They should solicit best practices and advice from nonprofit organizations then translate that into what works with their audience."
Spillane explained what certain companies did successfully, adding, "Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, provided employees with information about key civic dates throughout 2018, including party caucuses, primary elections, bipartisan candidate forums, and Election Day, and set up a selfie station in the office to encourage people to share "I Voted" photos with their co-workers."
Similarly, many brands spoke out against racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd's death, to unite people — and promote equality. For instance, McDonald's issued a silent video statement, while Ben & Jerry's issued the statement: "We must dismantle white supremacy." Advertising, just in the past several months alone, has had to pivot quickly to meet people where they are.
Financially, 2020 has been an incredibly expensive political advertising season, with costs rising starkly from previous elections, illustrating just how monumental this moment is. For example, according to Centro, political advertising "spend totaled more than $2.19 billion, a $1 billion increase compared to the amount spent from January–May in 2016 and 2018," as of this past May.
COVID-19 raised these prices as well due to the lack of in-person campaigning, as Centro added, stating that digital "predicted to be at its highest share yet at 27 percent." The silver lining? Centro stated that the fluid ability for marketers to target and time ads "should help to minimize the effects of competition with political messaging, which could be felt in video and connected TV."
Source
"How the 2020 Presidential Election Has Affected Advertising," ANA, 2020.