Data analytics firm Lotame, which says it taps billions of anonymous online profiles, has looked at the digital behavior of millions of political TV watchers and suggests they are in something of a branding sweet spot for marketers targeting addressable advertising.
“As the 2020 election quickly approaches, and COVID restrictions are keeping people at home and in front of the television, political marketers have a good chance of engaging consumers through the biggest screen at home,” said Alexandra Theriault, chief customer officer at Lotame. “Knowing information like what other shows politically engaged viewers watch and what industries they are likely to work in, helps campaigns build a profile of what messaging might resonate best in the last months before ballots are cast.”
According to Lotame Panorama*, political TV watchers** are more likely to be heavy TV viewers and hold management positions in the IT industry. In addition to politics, they like "easy to watch" genres including travel shows, home and garden shows, variety, and game shows. They are less likely to watch genres like drama, science fiction and action shows.
Related: Analysis: Presidential Candidates Didn't Benefit from Last Week's TV Town Halls
IT professionals are the most likely to be political TV watchers (23%), followed by healthcare (14%) in the number two slot. Only 2% of those in the insurance industry are political TV watchers, while perhaps surprisingly given the political activism of some in Hollywood, only 1% of those in the media and entertainment industry were identified as political TV watchers.
The largest percentage of political TV watchers are in management positions (42%), followed by non-management jobs (27%), C-suite positions (19%), and board members and ownership (12%).
*"A suite of data enrichment solutions that use first-, second- and third-party data to create and analyze addressable audiences."
**Political TV watchers are defined as "people who have tuned-in to political TV networks, talk shows, debates, town halls, and congressional hearings."
