Your out of home company has probably been getting requests for political ads. Billboard Insider asked OAAA EVP-Government Affairs Mike Hershey to talk about political advertising do’s and don’t.
How is 2024 shaping up for out of home political ads?
Every election cycle is setting new records for political advertising, and 2024 is expected to follow that trend. Analysts project that over $10B will be spent this year.
OOH over-indexes with key voter demographics and continues to be well positioned, especially in building awareness and GOTV (get out the vote).
This cycle, national political dollars will be focused on 7 presidential battleground states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Overlay that with U.S. Senate races in several of these states, and you can understand the priority for messaging there.
Also, it’s important to remember that the majority of OOH political spend comes from state and local, so operators may want to be aware of those pivotal races.
What are some best practices out of home companies should follow?
In general, some best practices are:
- Charge your normal rate, rate card – no discounts.
- Offer the same rate to competing candidates – don’t differentiate.
- There is no requirement to offer a lowest unit rate, as with broadcast.
- There is no requirement to accept political ads. The choice is up to individual operators.
- Be mindful of ad copy, as there are federal and state disclosure rules (ie: “paid for by . . . “).
Lastly, OAAA members can download the OOH Political Primer at oaaa.org, covering top proof points, opportunities, case studies, and a contact list of political agencies and organizations.
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