Political Advertising Podcast Takes Critical Look At Digital Media's Impact On The "Packaging" Of Candidates

NEW YORK, March 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The second episode of adman Ellis Verdi's podcast, "Selling A President, 2020," examines how Facebook, Twitter and other digital media channels are reshaping the messaging and packaging of candidates through their ability to provide real-time polling and hyper-targeted audiences.

The upcoming episode, "No Room for Nuance," features creative directors Jay Benjamin and Casey Rand, DeVito/Verdi Chief Digital Officer Gregg Lester, and former New York Times advertising columnist Stuart Elliott joining Verdi in discussing how today's candidates are being digitally diced-up to appeal to disparate audiences, and how that dictates how they're being presented in their advertising and other marketing outreach.

In one exchange, Potential Energy's Rand reflected on how social media has upended the age-old manner in which campaigns massaged a candidate's message: "In politics, everything was focused-grouped, like you talking points.  But now, they just do A/B tests on Facebook.  That's your focus group."

So as candidates can receive real-time feedback on how they're being perceived, campaigns are taking advantage by immediately pivoting when necessary.

But as DeVito/Verdi's Lester points out, this reliance on serving up so many different messages to so many different audiences can lead to the loss of a candidate's identity, and, inevitably, chaos. "Not only do they need to make sure they are consistent across all the different channels, but then within each channel there are different audiences.  So now you have to figure out how to talk to each audience in a completely different way."

Verdi's "Selling A President, 2020" podcast debuted last week with a discussion centered around President Trump's take-no-prisoners branding approach.  Guests included advertising legends Lee Garfinkel and Linda Kaplan Thaler, award-winning creative directors Greg Hahn (BBDO NY), Tom Christmann (currently Co-Dean, Adhouse Advertising School), and political consultant Jonathan Prince (currently VP of communications at Slack).

The podcast series will hear from both ends of the political spectrum and even go beyond the candidates' breaking campaigns to examine those being produced by outside groups and super PACs. Upcoming episodes will focus on COVID-19's impact on political advertising and how creative advertising, and traditional ad agencies, are being left out of the discussion.

The "Selling A President, 2020" can be heard here.  The first episode, "Fear Sells," can be heard on Spotify, Google Play, Apple, TuneIn, and Stitcher.

About DeVito/Verdi

DeVito/Verdi, a privately held company, has been recognized as one of the most exceptional creative agencies in the industry.  It has been voted "Best Agency" six times by the advertising industry group, the AAAA, and has created some of the most memorable ad campaigns of the past 25 years.  Its lengthy list of industry awards includes the top prizes at the Clios, Radio Mercury, Cannes, Andy, Addy and One Show award ceremonies. 

DeVito/Verdi strives for excellence and maintains a unique level of prestige within the advertising industry, as evidenced by its work for such clients as Kohl's, The National Association of Broadcasters, BayCare Health System, Five Below, BevMo!, 7-Eleven, New York Institute of Technology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Sony, Canon, Duane Reade Drug Stores, BMW, 84 Lumber, Esquire Magazine, Men's Wearhouse, TimeOut Magazine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Scripps Health, Grey Goose Vodka, UChicago Medicine, eCampus, Reebok, Legal Sea Foods, Office Depot, Appleton Rums, Pepsi/SOBE, Fallon Community Health Plan, Tribe Mediterranean Foods, Empire Kosher Chicken, Acura, CarMax, Sports Authority, Campaign for Freedom Post 9/11, Pro-Choice Education Project, Hillary Clinton for Senate, and others. 

SOURCE DeVito/Verdi