1. Voter Messaging Is Shifting — Fast
Across panels, consultants underscored that affordability, the economy, and immigration will continue dominating voter concerns heading into 2026. But one message came through even louder: “Make no assumptions.”
Reaching low-propensity voters, especially audiences who don’t actively follow politics, requires meeting them where they are, speaking in language that feels credible, and avoiding insider framing.
A few points that stood out:
- Voters gravitate toward human-led, relatable storytelling, not overly polished political tropes.
- You must find voters where they actually spend time, which increasingly is not on linear media.
- According to Pew Research, only 20% of U.S. adults now say they get political news from cable TV, down from 40% in 2016. Digital and streaming continue taking share. (Source: Pew Research Center, 2024)
Authenticity and clarity matter more than cleverness.
2. The Media Mix Must Be Truly Integrated — Not Just “Multi-Channel”
A major point from the strategists: no channel can be treated as optional in 2026. Campaigns are breaking down delivery by demographic and planning earlier to secure cost-efficient inventory. The advice was simple: Reserve early. Break down by audience. Leave no stone unturned.
Two themes stood out:
- CTV continues to rise: U.S. CTV ad spend grew 14% year-over-year and is projected to surpass $40B in 2026. (Source: eMarketer, 2025)
- YouTube remains unavoidable for reach, especially with younger and multicultural voters.
- Sports will be a major battleground with the 2026 World Cup, the Olympics, and the general reliability of live sports as attention-drivers.
- Subscription fatigue means CTV reach builds more gradually, unlike linear’s predictable reach curves.
Campaigns must embrace fragmentation, not fight it.
3. Creators Are Becoming a Strategic Consideration — Especially as TikTok Remains Closed to Political Ads
Another takeaway: creators are increasingly part of the experimentation toolkit for campaigns. Since TikTok doesn’t allow political ads, strategists are looking at ways to tap into creator ecosystems more indirectly through:
- Issue-centered narratives
- Organic amplification
- Collaborations built on authenticity and trust
It’s not a mandatory channel, but it’s becoming a useful complement when campaigns want to reach harder-to-find or culturally specific audiences.
In parallel, Meta platforms continue to play a major role in targeted voter outreach. Regardless of opinion, their ability to deliver precise, scalable segmentation keeps them firmly in the media mix.
4. CTV OOH Is Emerging as a High-Impact Complement — Especially Locally
A refreshing part of the discussion: CTV Out-of-Home (CTV OOH) finally entered the conversation in a meaningful way. Key points:
- There is no scroll and no competing content, attention is naturally higher in many venue types.
- While measurement lags behind digital, CTV OOH offers hyper-local reach and strong frequency in communities that are hard to hit through other means.
- Industry-wide, OOH remains one of the most trusted ad formats, with 67% of consumers reporting OOH makes messages more memorable. (Source: OAAA, 2024)
CTV OOH isn’t replacing anything — it’s enhancing everything.
5. Measurement, Attribution & “Digital Campfires” Are Becoming Critical
Several strategists emphasized the need to measure everything, from brand lift to polling deltas to device-level performance. But they also warned that device-level targeting data may be increasingly flawed and should be interpreted cautiously. The phrase that stuck with me: “Build digital campfires.”
In practice, that means creating environments where communities gather online, whether in streaming content, creator ecosystems, sports fandoms, or shared cultural moments, and using those contexts to deliver messages that feel personal and relevant.
Campaigns must be imaginative, data-informed, and willing to experiment beyond legacy playbooks.
Final Thought
If 2024 was about fragmentation, 2026 is about mastering it. The campaigns that win will blend channels intelligently, invest early in CTV and CTV OOH, lean into creators, and deliver messages that voters understand — not just messages campaigns want to say.
