Targeting Alert: One of the key components of online advertising – tracking the behavior of Internet users – is coming under increasing fire. This is good news for publishers across the board but it could be even better news for publishers interested in political ad dollars – if they prepare.
Political folks don’t spend a lot of time thinking about targeting other than by voter registration information. That’s why many political ad buyers don’t believe they should regularly target individual outlets. Most publishers have neglected to understand the pull of demographic information for political ad placements and that’s hurt them in the programmatic market which dominates political buying.
This focus on voter registration is a bit of a mirage. Voter information contains a lot of what’s known as PII – personally identifying information. It’s not acceptable to use PII to target ads online. So large buying platforms use the behavior associated with a group of people like the voters on a target list to send them ads.
As a reault,the political marketplace is changing in ways that should help publishers. An over reliance on targeting means that competing political campaigns go after the same sets of people. Result? Increased pricing as ads are sold under a bidding system. Second result? Lower bidders – even if they’re political ad buyers – loose out to corporate brand campaigns.
News outlets selling direct – with solid information about subscribers and their habits – can challenge and change this behavior. AND see their political CPM preserved, not undersold.
Even better news? There’s some evidence that behavior targeting does’t work. And its coming under increasing scrutiny in Europe as more stringent privacy regulation takes effect. It’s gotten to the point where Silicon Valley companies are calling for more oversight of the data sales business. And, control of consumer data is at the front and center of a series of legislative proposals Congress is contemplating.
The conventional wisdom says no substantial legislation will pass Congress this year. But this isn’t a climate where conventional wisdom has a long lifespan. Spot-On has always had a jaundiced view of voter and behavioral targeting so we’re prepared for what we think are inevitable changes in the law.
Spot-On’s working on a solution to help publisher and political ad buyers. Our Pinpoint Placement platform is built on a database of more than 2700 local news sites across the country – even yours. They’re divided up by Congressional and state districts, searchable by zip code so buyers can find the right place for their ads. We’ll offer automated direct buying, real time reporting and a host of other features that help publishers reach this elusive and lucrative audience.
Want a sneak peek demo? Send an email and we’ll hook you up pronto.
