Political Ads on iPods?
by Brian Reich | 19 Dec 2006, 2:00am
From Washington Whispers…
The Future of Politics in an iPod
It wasn’t long ago that we told you of how the Democrats and Republicans were preparing a new way to reach voters in 2008 through their mobile technology and iPods. Well, now we know why. Republican pollster David Winston tells us that new research found that 40 percent of 2006 voters ages 18 to 34 own iPods. And many don’t make time to watch lots of tv, choosing instead to TiVo their faves or record podcasts. So what will be the best way to reach those critical voters in 2008? Through their iPods, he says, especially when the mp3s go wireless. “That’s the next environment,” he predicts, “where people will get their information.” His tip to the pols: Make the ads riveting. The best example: losing Maryland Senate candidate Michael Steele’s family-focused tv ads, some of which featured a cute Boston terrier.
I think he’s on the right track. The big question, at least for me, is whether political advertisers will recognize the difference between the message and the medium. An iPod, like any other piece of technology, is simply a delivery mechanism for content. People like watching TV, listening to music, and playing games on their handheld devices because they are away from home or don’t have access to other forms of technology where they usually get that stuff. Will political ads be compelling enough to get people to watch, simply becuase they are available for an iPod or similar? its not about the content of the ads alone - as he suggests. Its about the political process as a whole as well.
