Five Considerations for Navigating the Midterm Elections

This year’s midterm elections are already more politically charged than ever. Voters have a lot on their minds — the ongoing pandemic, rising gas and food prices, inflation worries, supply chain issues, gun violence and women’s reproductive rights, to name just a few.

What does this mean if you are planning a PSA launch for Q3 or Q4?  Or, if you released a PSA earlier in 2022?

To learn what to expect and how to navigate the midterms, here are five points you should know.

1. Plan for a slight dip in PSA usage from late September through November 8^th (Election Day). While PSAs will still air during this period, it will be a little slower. Candidates will be buying up inventory, leaving less unsold ad space for PSAs to fill.
2. It’s a national thing. Unlike presidential elections where the biggest impact is usually on key battleground states, the midterms are more about statewide and local races. The impact will be more evenly spread across the board, rather than in certain states.
3. Be proactive. Where possible, Connect360 recommends that nonprofits distribute their spots this summer — June/July/August — so the PSA can be approved and in the queue before election season hits. The latest we recommend distribution is early September.
4. If you cannot get out ahead… For nonprofits that just cannot get out in advance, we recommend holding the PSA until after the November 8^th
5. Provide options.  Election season or not, it’s always good to give stations options. We recommend having a variety of lengths (e.g. :60, :30 and :15) so stations can choose the length(s) most needed.  And if your message is holiday-related or specific to a certain timeframe, we recommend having an evergreen version so stations have the option of longer term use.