Holy Cow!
Spot-On normally uses the first newsletter of the year to reflect on the last and look ahead. This year we feel it necessary to start by channeling the late great Yankee shortstop (and poet) Phil Rizzuto. Holy Cow! There’s a lot more we could say – but none of it is printable. A lot of […]
Only Resting….
It’s easy to think the political ad buying season is over. But, just like Monty Python’s Polly Parrot it’s only resting. The next year will see a number of mayoral races, no shortage of ‘special’ elections for seats left empty as officeholders joined the Biden administration and a fair amount of advocacy and legislative jockeying. […]
The Maddening Crowd
It’s going to take a while for the professional political class to digest the 2020 election. Trends that popped up and were dismissed in 2016 came roaring back. And there was plenty of new stuff. One thing is clear, however. Like 2016, the 2020 election brought a lot of new voters to the polls. And […]
The Return of Context
You remember contextual targeting don’t you? That’s when you sold an ad placement based on where in your publications it would have the most impact. What’s that? You say you’re still selling ads that way? Well, you’re not really. So-called programmatic advertising has eaten away at the very idea that publishers would care about where […]
Putting Things in Context
It’s gotten a fancy high-tech name now but the old fashion technique that political ad buyers have relied on – buying ads where they think they’ll find voters – is coming back with a vengeance. This time around it’s called “contextual targeting.” Which means that advertisers run ads where they’ll reach people who care about […]
You Are Not Alone
This newsletter, coming to you at the beginning of the earnest and chaotic political buying cycle, comes with some good news. You are not alone. A recent survey by Centro, a Chicago and Toronto-based programmatic ad buying firm, says that political ad buyers are worried about a range of issues facing this political year. The […]
Selling Points for Political Ad Dollars
A recent survey by Centro, a Chicago and Toronto-based programmatic ad buying firm, says that political ad buyers are worried about a range of issues this political year. The know there are landmines out there, they’re just not sure when they’re going to go off. To which Spot-On says, “d’uh”. It isn’t easy for local news […]
Leveling Up
It’s beginning to look as though the “wild west” of political ad sales is getting tamed. No six shooters needed, this go-round. Just a lot of frustration – too much to go around – is making ad platforms aware of something news outlets know in their souls: paid political speech is different from brand advertising […]
Closing In
With the Friday announcement that it was cancelling contracts with political ad buyers, Adobe – a venerable Silicon Valley company – is sending a clear signal: Political ads are too hot to handle. The Adobe news broke at the end of a week that saw The Big Tech Four on the hot seat before Congress […]
November Political Prep
More than any year since Spot-On started selling ads, this one has been one of constant change for political advertisers. That’s not just the overall chaotic climate; it’s the new attention being paid to the sloppiness that sadly characterizes the ad tech business by publishers and attention to privacy concerns by a weary public. The ad […]
