OTT And The 2020 Elections

The targeting capabilities of OTT are going to play an integral role in the upcoming 2020 Presidential and Congressional elections. MadHive's Rebecca Learner explains how the rise of cord cutting and explosion of ad-supported streaming services means there will be more potential voters than ever before getting ads served through OTT.

However, it’s important we address the elephant in the room… Cambridge Analytica. The scandal uncovered how consumer data can be used to manipulate consumer votes through digital advertising. And with those same digital targeting capabilities now possible on OTT, how can we ensure people won’t fall victim to manipulation again? 

Well, for one: political ads have rules. The FEC requires all TV commercials from a campaign to have an ‘I am [CANDIDATE NAME] and I approve this message’ tag at the end. That will ensure viewers that the ad is not some piece of Russian kompromat.

Additionally, TV is a more prestigious platform that features premium content. So, instead of tricking people with fake news and ads from fake organizations, targeting by things like geography and demographics will actually just help real candidates connect and communicate with real people.

And ICYMI, impeachment proceedings have sparked a wave of political advertising -- here's a look at where Trump's running ads.

Header photo modified from Dario on Unsplash