Campaign Media Lessons
Changing Campaign Media
Where and what people are reading continues to evolve
Aside from the stress of election cycles, there is a lot to be said about the many takeaways and free research moments of it all for anyone working in media, marketing, and communications. Each election season offers a unique, real-time case study on how information flows, how public opinion forms, and which messages resonate with diverse audiences. From understanding how different demographics engage with news sources to observing the platforms and formats that gain traction, there are countless insights to be gained. For professionals, observing these strategies offers valuable lessons on platform popularity, audience segmentation and psychology, content personalization, and the evolving landscape of digital influence—all critical components for shaping effective campaigns and building authentic connections in any industry.
Read my previous post on Media Psychology, Literacy x Misinformation
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WHERE: Something I always discuss with my teams, is where and how people (or their specific customer demographics) are getting their information now. Watching the Harris team during this election should absolutely be studied for the speed and agility in tapping into multiple generations, trending moments, and taking chances on non-traditional media platforms. We all remember the Brat summer moment, and whoever is running the TikTok account needs a massive raise, but I think it was the conversations on major podcasts and radio - in particular Howard Stern and Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy - that were major moments in media. The reach in both numbers, regions, and demographics was absolutely the right moves, giving access that traditional tv news could only dream of. Not to mention the avalanche of additional revisited clips on social media channels and Youtube that kept the discussion going. Shows like The Daily Show and Pod Save AmericaYoutube clips go viral with regularity as well, driving numbers well beyond their initial airdates. The popular The late night appearances and the Fox news appearance may not have had the same affect (Buttigieg has been the most effective Dem guest on the latter), but in this current demographic divide, it was necessary.
NEWS DELIVERY & SHARING: Newspaper press is still struggling though having editors discuss their coverage more in depth on media clips and podcasts (something the NY Times is doing more of, The New Yorker and Atlantic too) will continue to be important to reach younger audiences and all of our collective shrinking attention spans. Vogue made a clever social move by getting Jack Schlossberg (Kennedy), a young lawyer in NYC, to make videos covering election campaign moments in his quirky style. Is it for everyone? No. But does it reach others not normally engaged on Vogue’s Instagram and TikTok? Yes. Even Tim Walz was appearing on various popular social series, such Kate’s running interviews, were good watches and out of the ordinary. Also, these alternative platform delivery systems lend to social sharing, which is key.
FREE PRESS: As a backbone of democratic systems, a free press that does not have interference from owner agendas, and have the bravery to investigate and speak out, are essential. Unfortunately, newspapers are increasingly owned by billionaires and corporations that dictate coverage or messaging (long apparent with Rupert Murdoch and Fox News). A big fail this week, seen at both the LA Times and Washington Post, saw ownership block - Patrick Soon-Shiong at the Times and Jeff Bezos at WaPo - block the Editorial Boards traditional Presidential endorsements. Every major publication has already endorsed Harris, so it is suspicious timing for the newspapers, with many LA Times editors quitting in protest as well as outraged Post editors, and a wave of cancelled subscriptions.
HOW: The hokey gimmicks generally fall flat in moving the voter needle (like Trump at McDonald’s), but I suppose they will forever be part of the campaign trail. Though in an increasingly dangerous campaign world (the secret service has been struggling to keep up with difficult demands), they have been less large public events aside from controlled stadium appearances. Looking to capture various state audiences will likely need to be re-thought in the future, in a world where most are online, and the ones that aren’t want to hear real solutions for their unique areas, not appearances at a state fair.
ISSUES: As discussed in my previous post, the absolute need for media literacy, critical thinking, and and civics classes have become increasingly glaring in an expedited age of mass media and technology pushing misinformation. AI deepfakes in particular are disturbing in terms of fake videos and audio, as were the many falsehoods spread on twitter around recent hurricane relief. Some countries like Finland, have begun teaching students early on how to spot false news and photos, which should become part of our education system as well. It’s not just for glaring falsehoods, but small ones too, which I have to remind myself of as someone who is chronically online and take for granted that I can spot some things quickly. Having also lived in other countries like Canada and the UK, the outside view looking into our American media coverage can be a huge wake up call for many. I labeled my time living in London after the 2020 election as an initial month long media detox from our 24-hour news cycle (not that the UK/EU/CA don’t have their own media issues, but more on that in another post in the future).
*I will keep adding to this post…..
Want more insight? In addition to my own podcast, there have been great discussion about these pods too: Pivot + On with Kara Swisher, Next Question with Katie Couric, Offline, Hard Fork, Ezra Klein Show, and more.
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