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“The gap between TV and digital is narrowing with each electoral cycle, and as campaigns get closer and target specific larger groups, we should see more activity in digital,” said Audrey Haynes, professor of political science at the School of the public and international. Business at the University of Georgia, in an email exchange with WIRED.
In political advertising, digital is often seen as the field outside of television and old-fashioned brochure prospecting. This can include Google and Facebook ads, YouTube videos, Instagram or TikTok posts, and even memes.
According to Haynes, while the majority of political advertising funds still go to television, internet advertising continues to grow, absorbing 18 percent of total ad spend in 2020. Television has wide reach, but it can’t target too effectively. This is where online advertising can fill these gaps.
Haynes explained that you need to engage voters where they are, and depending on the demographics you are targeting, Facebook isn’t your best option. “If these are voters you need to engage, you need to make sure you develop a message and a strategy to get that message out where they are and in a way that isn’t likely to generate negative reactions. It takes creativity, but it can be done. “
To ensure that NGP was reaching players authentically in his general election, he called on Malik Forté. While Forté most often hosts gaming and esports events and is well known for previously being a banner host and analyst for the Overwatch League, he has found himself as both presenter and educator.
“I got to the point where I found myself explaining the Electoral College to people a few times throughout the stream, so they could understand how the system works,” Forté told us.
Beyond the occasional troll, Forté has found people genuinely curious and interested in learning more about the electoral process, although he has found himself having to defend an electoral system that can leave many states off the battlefield without getting involved. feel heard.
“People who consume game content, we tend to see through a lot of smoke and mirrors, as advertisements and influencers tend to throw in our faces regularly,” Forté said. “So I think it’s really important to remove all of that, remove all the smoke and the mirrors, and create a transparent conversation about civic engagement and politics in general.”
But Twitch is moving fast. It now hosts not only video game streams and esports tournaments, but also more general shows, from Bob Ross marathons to regular chat sessions. In fact, the Just Chatting category is now the largest on the site and the fastest growing.
“The site has gone from gameplay to more reactionary content,” Jefferson said. He believes this type of content is more conducive to VOD, allowing clips to rack up views on YouTube or Reddit. Jefferson went on to say, “Hearing someone who is relatable (streamers) give a glimpse of all of this is a welcoming lure that dominates the meta.”
This was best demonstrated by Hasan Piker, a liberal political commentator-turned-streamer (also featured on AOC’s Twitch stream), who broadcast an election week with almost no interruptions. Piker passed 80 hours streaming various election results and, at one point, peaked at 230,000 viewers. In the days following the election, he would regularly see over 100,000 contestants.
The goal here for Ufot, Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight and other grassroots efforts across the country is to turn non-voting youth into “supervisors. “According to Cambridge University, elections that can result in a high turnout among young adults will leave a mark in subsequent elections. Getting voters as young as 18 could mean a lifetime of reliable votes.
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