With the mid-term elections a pervasive and divisive part of America life these days, a new study found that politics has become a big factor in where marketers place their ads.
According to Advertiser Perceptions, 32% of advertiser said their customers’ political views affect their decision to advertise with a specific media brand, while 17% said their own personal political views affect their decision to advertise with a specific media brand. The remaining 51% said neither personal nor customer political views affected their decision to advertise with a specific media brand.
The survey also found that 52% of advertisers said they were pressured by customers to withhold spending based on a media brand’s political affiliation, while 48% said they have not been pressured by customers.
Media Matter has led a campaign to get businesses to avoid advertising on Fox News. Fox News’ Ingraham Angle was recently singled out for a boycott.
“We’ve become so polarized that personal political beliefs and affiliations affect where brand advertising money is spent on an everyday basis,” said Frank Papsadore, executive VP for marketing at Advertiser Perceptions. “Politics isn’t only affecting who you talk to at Thanksgiving, but how you do your job. Given the bitter contention around recent elections, we can expect the advertising fallout from this tribal division to be significant and enduring.”
Advertiser Perceptions said it interviewed more than 300 advertisers in August for its monthly survey.
