VAB: Nearly 60% Of Voters Persuaded By TV Ads Close To Election

by Wayne Friedman , October 14, 2016

Nearly 60% of all national voters can be persuaded by political TV advertising in the last week leading up to the day of an election -- which this year is November 8.

The Video Advertising Bureau, the TV marketing group, also says that TV remains the primary influencer when it comes to undecided national voters -- registering a 79% composition number. The Internet is next at 49%, followed by radio and newspapers each at 20%; outdoor/billboard, 16%; direct mail, 15%, and email marketing, 9%.

The research comes from a poll of adults 18+ conducted in April 2016.

When it comes to local voters, the research says three-quarters of local voters can be swayed by TV advertising within the last week before an election.

Fully 65% of undecided voters say TV debates and political TV shows influence their voting. According to the VAB, more than half of voters say TV is their primary source for political information. More than 40% using the Internet after seeing a political ad on TV.

Other digital media results: Only 21% researched a candidate after viewing an political ad on social media; 17% claim to be influenced by YouTube videos or family and friends liking a political candidate on Facebook.

advertising, politics, tv

2 comments about "VAB: Nearly 60% Of Voters Persuaded By TV Ads Close To Election".

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Douglas Ferguson from College of Charleston, October 17, 2016 at 9:32 a.m.
Good luck finding an undecided voter in this election.
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Doug Garnett from Protonik, LLC, October 17, 2016 at 4:47 p.m.

Wow. Need I observe that phone interviews in April asking people how TV ads not yet created for political races not yet firm lack credibility?

I concur that TV can be highly influential. This 60% number boggles the mind. But really, it sounds like that kind of consumer research answer where (a) the consumer doesn't have the foggiest but (b) they have to say something. So TV is a great fallback.

There are thousands of good reasons that TV advertising remains the most powerful. So it's sad that the VAB puts out tripe like this.