Stagwell (STGW) Hosts 'Political Media Days' Inaugural Summit, Projects Unprecedented $12B Political Ad Cycle in 2024

Stagwell's Political Firms and Media Agencies Ramp Up Client Support Ahead of 2024 Presidential Election

NEW YORK, July 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW), the only global marketing services network with bipartisan political advocacy, media, and insights firms, convened disruptive digital publishers and media groups for a two-day summit to inform brands as well as local and national candidates about the political media opportunities that should be top of mind heading into the 2024 election cycle. The presenters – Ampersand, Axios, iHeartMedia, MiQ, Nexstar, Politico, Puck, Punchbowl News, TelevisaUnivision and Urban One – discussed the importance of reaching overlooked audiences, building trust with a skeptical public, and balancing multiple mediums in a landscape where consumers are wildly varied in their spending habits, information sources, personal beliefs and more. 

According to Stagwell's omnichannel media agency Assembly – which in 2020 placed the largest single media buy in history during the Mike Bloomberg for President Campaign – the 2024 cycle is slated to surpass $12 billion in advertising spend and unfold across an expansive array of online and offline channels as the digital marketing revolution fully transforms politics.

"I used to joke that brands spent more money marketing hamburgers than politicians spent campaigning to run a nation – but that's no longer the case. With the explosion of digital channels, political campaigns are at the forefront of targeting techniques and marketing innovation because they are always trying to outdo their competitors, and those tools are necessary in today's lower-growth commercial world," said Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO, Stagwell.

Mark Penn in Conversation with Assembly Director of Political Strategy Tyler Goldberg

Penn joined Assembly Director of Political Strategy Tyler Goldberg for a candid chat about the upcoming election cycle and Stagwell's role as a network in the political and media ecosystem, spanning advocacy firms SKDK and Targeted Victory, insights agencies The Harris Poll and HarrisX, and more.

"Fully integrated campaigns remain elusive for many political players in this fragmented media landscape, and we're proud to work alongside our partners across Stagwell to help modern brands and candidates get the most out of the expansive universe of audiences, channels, and targeting methods available in this upcoming cycle," said Goldberg.

In this interview, they shed light on why marketers should keep a close eye on the political landscape when it comes to spending and crafting creative messages. Stream it here, and find key takeaways from Stagwell's Political Media Day presentations below:

Reaching Overlooked Audiences

• Start early and educate; don't just rely on Get Out The Vote efforts at the end of the cycle.
• Black and Latino audiences often feel taken for granted. Reach these underserved audiences where they are. Whether that's Spanish language programming or genre radio, be creative in targeting.
• Find the persuadable voters. Swing voters are watching the more centrist and local news outlets rather than the big-name hyper-partisan channels.

Building Trust

• Audiences care about individual talent. Journalist influencers who have built up loyal audiences and local broadcast teams who feel familiar to their viewers are extremely valuable in this contentious political environment.
• Be authentic. Multicultural groups have their own interests, and they can tell when campaigns are pandering – basically the core tenet of Assembly's Advocacy Consulting Technology (ACT).

Balancing Mediums

• Don't drop traditional broadcast. Everyone wants an alternative to broadcast, but it's still the primary scaled option with the most reliable data.

To inquire about partnering with Stagwell's political advocacy, media, and communications firms, please contact [email protected].

About Stagwell

Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world's most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.

About Assembly

Assembly is the modern global omnichannel media agency, bringing data, talent, and technology together to find the change that fuels growth for the best brands on the planet. Our approach connects big, bold brand stories with integrated, global media capabilities that deliver performance and drive large-scale business growth. Our work is powered by our proprietary, in-house technology solution, STAGE, and led by our global talent base of over 1,600 people around the world. We're purpose-driven at our core and pioneers in social and environmental impact in the agency world. Assembly is a proud member of Stagwell, the challenger network built to transform marketing. For more information, visit assemblyglobal.com. 

CONTACT: 
Sarah Arvizo
[email protected] 

SOURCE Stagwell Inc.