Brands are preparing their ad strategies for a week of post-election uncertainty
The U.S. presidential election is set to take place this Tuesday, and brands and agencies are planning for an extended period of uncertainty.
Some companies say they are planning on cutting down advertising altogether during the few days following the election. Others plan to keep a close eye on advertising rates and performance and are ready to make quick investment changes if major news hits. Some say they are using this moment to promote messages about issues relevant to their brand.
“Generally, news programming does really well across our clients. But for this time period, we just don’t want to waste anybody’s money,” said Suzanne Silber, evp of integrated media planning for media agency Eden Collective. For her agency’s clients, the plan is to reduce spending over the course of the week and not run TV ads against news programming on Election Day and the day after.
It’s an especially difficult time to cut down on advertising for some brands. Advertisers have been uncertain about when to promote end-of-year promotions during an already shortened holiday season with only 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Silber said she wants to save ad spending for when it will be most effective, especially entering the holiday season where she expects pricing will get more competitive. “We not trying to ask consumers to make a decision when their mind is not really able to focus on that decision,” she said. “We want to see what happens and how long the election hangover lingers.”
Similarly, Katya Constantine, CEO of digital agency DigiShopGirl Media, said she expects some pullback on media spending going into Nov. 5. She said brands will likely scale back up toward the weekend. Singles’ Day, China’s blockbuster shopping event on Nov. 11, has seen more interest from U.S. brands over the past few years.
Other agencies are recommending clients invest in different channels rather than decrease investment altogether. On news networks, for example, breaking news may preempt clients’ purchased TV ad spots. In those cases, clients may choose to ramp up Facebook and Instagram ads or target other programming, said Eden’s chief operating officer Chris Novak. For brands focused on growing holiday sales, a good choice may include channels Hallmark and Lifetime that run holiday content.
“We want to make sure that we’re not losing so many of those impressions,” He said. “Ultimately, [retail executives] want to maintain volume. In every week that you lose, that’s an opportunity that you’re not getting back.”
Playing it by ear
Not everyone is making big changes. Some of Constantine’s clients are keeping things business-as-usual, but ready to pull back if they see drastic declines in performance. Still, “if there is a lot of polarizing news, we might have to adjust,” she said.
Mike Salguero, founder and CEO of Boston-based meat subscription company ButcherBox, said he’s watching carefully to make sure rates don’t surge. Still, the company is not dramatically changing its strategy.
“Things will be a lot more settled, I think, after the election. Although, if the results take a long time, then you’re just going to be in this weird space for another couple of weeks,” Salguero said.
ButcherBox offered a free turkey for new subscribers on Friday, and Salguero said the company will probably run the same promotion during the week of the election as well. “Everyone’s very distracted but everyone’s online, so it’s unclear what’s going to happen or what’s going to work,” he said. “The whole trick is to react to whatever external stimulus is happening and be able to continue reacting and making changes.”
Bringing attention to key issues
With reproductive rights as a key issue of this election, some health brands plan to spread awareness before and after Election Day.
Morning-after pill startup Cadence OTC plans to post on social media in the days after Election Day. Its messaging will focus on how emergency contraception remains legal in all 50 states, and customers can still purchase the morning-after pills in convenience stores like 7-Eleven and Circle K.
The company’s co-founder and CEO Samantha Miller said this is critically important as about a third of adults report being unsure if morning-after pills are legal where they live. “Given the current environment around reproductive rights, we think it’s really important to remind women they have options — no matter who wins the election,” Miller said.
Fertility clinic startup Kindbody has prepared scenario-specific internal communications to address various outcomes of the election, according to the company’s chief medical officer and reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Roohi Jeelani.
“We plan to post messages of support in the days following the election while continuing to assure our patients and employer clients that Kindbody’s nationwide network of clinics will be able to support patients wherever they live in the U.S.,” she said.