Political Ads Are Coming. Plan Around Them.

Every couple of years, local business owners notice the same thing in the fall. The TV breaks fill up with candidates. Radio gets busier. Schedules that were easy to buy in the spring suddenly take more planning.

This is one of those years, and our market is in an unusual spot.

Why our market feels it

The South Bend and Elkhart media market doesn’t stop at the state line. Stations here reach into southwest Michigan: Niles, Buchanan, Cassopolis and the towns around them. Michigan is one of the states the whole country is watching this year, and campaigns and advocacy groups put their money where the races are close.

That means advertisers in Michiana share airtime with people trying to reach Michigan voters, on top of the usual Indiana races. And the closer we get to Election Day in November, the more everyone is competing for the same breaks.

I’m not going to guess what any of that will cost or exactly how full a given station will be. That depends on the station, the time of day and how the races go. But the pattern is familiar enough to plan around.

What it means for a local business

If you usually advertise in the fall, and a lot of Michiana businesses do, the risk isn’t that advertising stops working. The risk is waiting until October to book and finding that the schedule you wanted isn’t available.

The other risk is going quiet. Some businesses decide to sit the whole season out. That might make sense for a week or two, but disappearing for two months hands the attention to competitors who planned ahead.

How to plan around it

Here’s what I’d do if it were my business:

1. Book early. If you know you want to be on the air in September, October and the holiday run-up, have that conversation with your rep now, not in October.
2. Protect your frequency. A few spots scattered around won’t be remembered. A steady schedule on fewer stations usually beats a thin one everywhere.
3. Ask how your schedule could be affected. Find out what’s realistic and what the options are if things shift. Clear expectations up front save frustration later.
4. Add streaming audio and digital. People listening on station streams and apps, and scrolling on their phones, are still reachable. These can carry your message alongside broadcast, aimed at the areas you actually serve.
5. Keep your message simple and friendly. People are going to hear a lot of arguing this fall. A clear spot about your fall service or your holiday hours is a welcome break.
6. Plan the week after. Once the election is over, the campaign ads come off the air and people are ready to think about something else. That’s a good moment to be at full strength heading into the holidays.

Connect the pieces

Whatever you run this fall, make sure the rest of the path is ready. When airtime is harder to come by, you can’t afford to waste the attention you do get. The people who hear your spot and look you up should find a current website, accurate hours and an easy way to call.

This is the conversation I’m having with business owners at Federated Media right now, so their fall plans are set before the rush. Whoever you work with, it’s worth having yours soon.

Pull out last fall’s schedule, decide what you want on the air and when, and get it on the calendar before Labor Day. If you’re not sure which part of your marketing needs attention before the busy season, the Marketing Checkup takes about three minutes.