Cable's lust for billions of dollars in 2008 political ads could be left unmet due to what a top campaign strategist calls a "massive lack of flexibility" in how the placement and airing of spots
are handled. According to Kyle Roberts, cable just can't adapt to the scheduling needs of campaigns that can change spots in a heartbeat. The president of Smart Media Group says about $1.1 billion of
the $2.1 billion in advertising in the last elections was spent in the final 30 days, and local cable must be prepared to deal with the flurry of traffic. At the same time, Roberts likes the medium's
ability to both reach voters in narrow geographic regions and target swing voters.
"Cable is the best tool for political advertising," he says. Fred Davis, a Los Angeles-based media
strategist who orchestrates media strategy for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in his presidential bid, also likes it for the same reasons. "We literally have a Brinks truck ready to back up to your door,"
he says--as long as the industry improves its ability to clear sufficient inventory for political spots and to handle changes more adroitly.
advertisement
advertisement
Read the whole story at Multichannel News »
