Linear DRTV in Political Season: 5 Key Strategies to Win

I have had the pleasure of buying & planning Linear DRTV campaigns for over 25 years. When it comes to Linear DRTV in Political season, inventory may become stressed. Here are insights I can pass along to help navigate the waters.

  • Booking 4th quarter during a heavy Political year – If possible, book early. In most cases, first in last out. Your DRTV Schedule should have a cancel policy that will protect your inventory through the end of the year.

 

  • Pick up the phone – Talk with your rep. Conversations are good. Emails and text only go so far. I find that having a weekly chat with my reps presents the opportunity for good market learning and updates. Speak with a human. There will always be changes.

 

  • Know your market/ Know your Rep – Have your Rep send weekly updates about issue dollars that may be starting up. Having a solid relationship is always helpful in this arena. Also keep an eye on other advertisers that are pushing inventory. In certain markets such as Tampa, Legal, Home Improvement and Medical have a heavy presence in 4Q. Pre logs are a must this time of the year.

 

  • Stick to Broad Rotations – News areas, Prime and Sports will tighten up as we get closer to the election, especially on the major affiliates in certain markets. Your Early Morning may be performing well now, but when rates increase, the performance may suffer. Using broad rotations will help maintain daily frequency. If you are interested in booking prime avails, you can look for affiliates such as COZI, METV and BINGE that might be affordable alternatives.

 

  • If you are buying Sports Programming. – Confirm the cancellation policy and get pre-logs two days before the event. It is always nice to show the client where they are running in the event. At Modus, a lot of our clients are requesting in-game programming during sporting events. If your client has a lower budget, pre- and post-game may be an alternative at a lower cost.

 

Inventory may get dynamic after the General Election. Local inventory will have Annual Enrollment Period messages from providers, holiday spending will be in motion and general advertisers may be getting UD Weight.

So, book it, talk about it, and let us chat with you after the General Election to see if you set the table for 1Q 2025!