Televised campaign advertising increases the prospect that the audience who identify with a particular political party will accept its positions and prefer its candidates, says Professor Cameron Shelton in his new research paper ‘Mobilization and Backlash: Asymmetric Updating in Response to Campaign Ads’. He explained that if a Republican candidate shows an advertisement to Republican voters, they would be more likely to vote for the Republican Party.
“However, if the Republican candidate showed their ad to a Democrat, the voter would be encouraged to vote Democrat. Campaign ads can confirm biases on both ends of the political spectrum.”
Shelton highlighted that a political party gains very little by showing an ad to a politically balanced audience. He said it clearly shows the potential benefits of targeting in the context of television viewing. “In today’s world, political advertising focuses on the delivery via social media of spots that are micro-targeted according to age, gender, ethnicity, zip code, and browsing habits.” This typically highlights party affiliation.
However, the expert added that social media advertising also has its share of disadvantages, including the dismissal of unwanted information. Shelton said other researchers found that social media does not really have strong effects in terms of encouraging voters. “If partisanship is so easily cued by political advertisements, my results might suggest such ads as a source of polarization.”
He believes targeted ads in streaming and designing an ad that mobilizes a base would be key for political operatives.
Also Read: The ’99 Bus’: Cadbury Flake Offers Free Day Trips to the Seaside With First Bus
