Today the nation is closely following the gubernatorial recall election in Wisconsin because of the political implications to the presidential election this fall. With the barrage of commercials from candidates, how can you best prepare your media plan for the political season?

In April, Laughlin Constable spoke to Rich Kirchen of the Milwaukee Business Journal, sharing our thoughts on how to plan ahead to manage the preemption of our clients’ television spots.

• Did you know that Federal law requires television stations to air political ads and provide them with the lowest unit rate? For all non-political advertisers that drives up the cost on the remaining inventory.
• In regional markets, political advertising can lead to increased costs and a tightening of inventory, typically 60 to 90 days prior to the election date. And it’s not uncommon for rates to increase 10-15% in day parts such as primetime and news.

In a heavy political environment finding acceptable make-good locations, when schedules are bumped, can sometimes pose a challenge. When faced with such challenges, how can you best prepare your client and media plan for the political season?

• We believe in forming strong relationships with our media representatives so when a situation like this happens we are alerted in advance.
• If the market is just too tight we will suggest shifting dollars out of TV and into radio – where there is usually less inventory challenges.

And with political advertising expected to reach $9.8 billion this year, according to Borrell Associates, only 1.6% of that is expected to be spent online – this creates another opportunity.

• Preemption doesn’t exist online, meaning your placements are guaranteed.
• With the use of behavioral, and advanced, targeting we can ensure your advertising is seen by your target demographic online.
• And with online sponsorships we believe our clients have a strong opportunity to capture the increased traffic to news and political sections and sites.

Have you prepared your media plan for the November election? If you have questions or would like a recommendation on how to best prepare your plan, please contact Dennis Jenders (djenders@laughlin.com / 414-270-7178) or Kelli Sumwalt (ksumwalt@laughlin.com / 414-270-7241).