Top Consultants Hope to Open TV Advertising to the Masses

By Doug Daniels

A group of veteran political operatives are teaming up in the hopes of revolutionizing the political advertising industry. Led by three political media heavyweights - Republicans Mike Murphy and Dan Schnur, along with Democrat Bob Shrum - the new program harnesses the Internet in an attempt to make television advertising cheaper for everyone, from federal candidates right down to the local mayoral candidate.

"This is potentially revolutionary," says Shrum. "There are 500,000 elections each year across the U.S., but the truth is, most of those candidates can't afford TV advertising. For better or worse, you're going to start seeing a lot more political TV spots, and I think that's better because this will democratize the system and level the playing field."

Launched with the California based online ad company, Spot Runner, Shrum says the new service offers a comprehensive library of pre-produced advertising templates, ranging from general topics like leadership, to more specific issues like illegal immigration. And for candidates who can't afford to hire a media consultant, the cost is just right: the ads range from $499 to $2,000.

"Crime is on the rise again in Anytown, with violent criminals serving minimal sentences," cautions a foreboding voice in one of the ad templates entitled "Tough on Crime." It opens with an image of a prisoner being led around in shackles through a bleak prison setting. "Someone's gotta put a stop to it, and that man is John Smith," the ad proclaims, shifting tones instantly to show a cheery generic candidate with his sleeves rolled up, talking on the phone; presumably to somebody in a position to bring the hammer down on those violent criminals.

And if none of the pre-produced spots catch a campaign's eye, then Spot Runner will produce an ad from scratch, with the more budget-conscious candidates benefiting most from the array of templates.

"I can see where this could have a niche," says Democratic media consultant Joseph Mercurio. "But the real questions are: can they get this stuff out quickly enough, and to enough people to make it worthwhile to them? And will other producers now put up similar services on their websites for smaller campaigns?" Mercurio asks. "The prices are on the economical side, but there will still be local campaigns who can't afford them, and so either way, it will have to be a high-volume business."

The Spot Runner program is essentially designed to function as a one-stop shop, doing everything from producing the spot to determining the most effective ways to reach your target constituency. The price depends on how much customizing the campaign requires, but Shrum says the company also provides strategic targeting advice by utilizing donor data and demographic information to ensure the media buys are more cost effective.

Another advantage to using the pre-produced ads: the details like voiceovers and images require very little time, so the turnaround on a spot can be as quick as a day.

"All you need is a computer, a credit card, legal compliance and a point of view," says Mike Murphy. He notes that in a small municipal race, for example, a powerful cable TV ad campaign can be created for as little as seven or eight thousand dollars.

"And for larger races," he says. "It's a very strong contract vendor for people who are running a race and want to take advantage of technology that allows demographic and market information, as well as geo-political targeting, to all come together."