CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATION in Congressional Races

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CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONin Congressional Races
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6 Goals of Political Advertising

• Opening phase Primary ? pre-Labor Day
• Name ID (2) Favorability (3) Set Agenda
• Final push Labor Day ? Election Day
• (4) Exploit Issues (5) Go on Offense (6)
  Defense
• 4 Phases of Political Advertising
• BIO ? ISSUES ? ATTACK/DEFEND ? RATIONALE

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TV Advertising

• Average adult watches almost 4 hrs. of TV per
  day!
• 3 of 4 voters say TV is their 1 source of
  election info
• 2 billion of political ad in typical midterm
  cycle in 2008 its expected to rise 43 above
  2004 (4.5 bill)
• Teeter (consultant) 80-90 of ad recall is
  visual
• BUT Only 65 of House races can afford to use TV
• HUGE variance in cost per ad from 70,000 in
  NYCto 9,000 in suburbs of Denver to 850 in
  rural CA
• Controversy attack ads / I approved this
  message

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Other Communication Tools

• RADIO cheaper, can microtarget audience
  segments
• PAPER cheap!, educated reader, but no visual
  appeal
• DIRECT MAIL buy voter lists to target mailings,
  cheap and so ubiquitous (Edwards in IA...), bulk
  mail discount
• PHONE BANK use to gather more info for voter
  lists, hype events, GOTV on Election Day
  controversies in light of ROBO-CALLs (def.) and
  PUSH POLLS (def.)
• FREE MEDIA newspaper editorial board interviews,
  press releases lead to coverage, hosted
  debates
• due to lack of and media attention/visibility,
  challengers are at a severe disadvantage

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INTERNET and new media

• Candidate web sites mostly blah
• Interactive emails and video streaming maybe
• MySpace / Facebook / MeetUps organized online
  works for targeted demographics teens and 20s
• Viral marketing campaign / viral video / You
  Tube! mostly out of the candidates
  controlcitizen driven
• Vernon Robinson for House
• Jay Footlik for House 08

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Strategists Rate Importance of Tools
From MOST to LEAST important in races for
CONGRESS!

• 1-on-1 personal contacts with candidate or
  staffers
• Free Media coverage
• Direct Mail
• Yard Signs
• Web site (info, fundraising, issues)
• Debates
• Broadcast TV ads
• Mass phone calls
• Newspaper ads
• Cable TV ads