Politicians Opt for New Tools to Reach Young Voters

As he makes political ads, Heath Garrett may realize a race, like many statewide ones in Georgia, will come down to college-educated, persuadable, politically moderate women living somewhere in the Atlanta suburbs.

How will he reach them? The answer used to be simple: television, the big gun in the political ad arsenal. Put your ads there, augment it with drive-time radio, throw in some flyers, yard signs, and door-knocking, and voila, you’ve reached people.

Now, it’s more complicated. The big problem? Young people don’t watch television. And the group gets older and bigger every day.

Where Are the Eyeballs? Heath Garrett of Strategic Partners & Media makes political ads in Atlanta. (Photo courtesy of Heath Garrett.)

“Those over the age of 50 we can find on broadcast or cable television,” said Garrett, a partner in Strategic Partners & Media. “Under the age of 50, we have to literally identify each household. What programming they’re watching on Hulu, YouTube, or through Facebook and Google searches. There’s a good chance they’ll never see an ad on the 6 o’clock news or primetime TV show.”

Robert Aho, a partner in the Pittsburgh-based BrabenderCox advertising firm, agrees and takes it further.

“That 65-year-old woman, you can reach her on cable news and broadcast TV primetime news,” Aho said. “But she’s got a device in her hand most evenings, so there’s a good chance I can reach her on Facebook or other social media. Well, probably Facebook at her age. I might be able to get to her on Hulu or Roku if she’s cut the cord (by canceling cable television). But if she’s 65 and female, I’m thinking of linear TV (that’s watched through major channels on a standard television) and a little social media.

Robert Aho is a partner in the BrabenderCox