The Messages That We Heard in 2024
The 2024 U.S. Presidential Campaign was anything but business as usual. The Republican candidate, Donald Trump, was a former U.S. President who was defeated in his bid for reelection in 2020. Kamala Harris replaced the incumbent (President Joe Biden) as the Democratic candidate on August 5, 2024, only three months before election day.
Not surprisingly, the campaign strategies for both candidates were unusual: the Republican and Democratic campaigns were starkly different in terms of message, style, and the media they chose to reach the voters whom they hoped to persuade.
This provides the U.S. voters’ concerns prior to the 2024 Presidential campaign, the Republican and Democratic candidates’ messaging strategies, media strategies, and the amount of money spent by the candidates’ campaigns.
Voters trust the news sources they most often consult, but trusted sources vary by demographics.
While more than half of U.S. adult citizens rely upon television and social media for their news, there are stark differences regarding preferred news sources among the voter demographics that the candidates must reach.
Among adults aged 18-44, 44% rely upon television versus 66% social media.
Among adults aged 45+, 66% rely upon television versus 44% social media.
Democrats and Republicans’ reliance upon television and social media align with older adults, while Independents rely less on television than the other two parties.
Among adults aged 18-44, 44%, 66%, and 46% have used Facebook, YouTube, and Google News for news information, respectively.
Among adults aged 45+, 36%, 31%, and 29% have used Facebook, YouTube, and Google News for news information, respectively.
Democrats and Republicans’ reliance upon Facebook, YouTube, and Google align with average use, while Independents rely less on Facebook than the average.
The 2024 Competing Campaign Media Strategies
The Harris campaign outspent the Trump campaign by every measure. There are indications, however, that the Trump campaign made wiser media choices.
Over $3 billion was spent on the presidential campaign during 2024. Democratic campaign and pro-Democratic outside groups spent almost $1.8 billion, while the Trump campaign and pro-Republican outside groups spent $1.4 billion. Both campaigns made strategic use of programmatic* media buys.
Democratic and Republican advertisements aired a combined 927,000 times between July 22 (the day after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race) and Nov. 1 across CTV** and OTT*** platforms, with Democratic advertisements holding a 43,000 airing advantage over Republican ads, according to AdImpact.
*Programmatic advertising uses AI and machine learning to automate the sale of ad inventory in real-time, ensuring that ads target the most suitable audiences.
*Connected TV (CTV) refers to a television that can connect to the internet, enabling access to streaming services, apps, and other online content
**OTT refers to “over the top” video content that is delivered over the internet, bypassing traditional cable or satellite television providers. It's essentially streaming TV services accessible on various devices with an internet connection, like smartphones, tablets, and smart TVs. Examples of OTT services include Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+
Programmatic
Both campaigns prioritized CTV and OTT due to their broad appeal (over 150 million households) and younger demographics. Beyond cost-effectiveness, programmatic advertising enabled deep geo-fencing targeting, surpassing Google location targeting limitations.
The Trump campaign allocated funds across YouTube and OTT platforms like Hulu, Spotify and Roku.
The Harris focused on a broader target, securing spots during NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB events and prime-time shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Survivor, Abbott Elementary and The Golden Bachelorette.
Digital Platforms
Trump focused on YouTube and targeted Gen Z voters by livestreaming campaign rallies on Twitch and maintaining direct-to-voter communication on X.
Harris focused on Google, Facebook and Instagram, targeting Gen Z voters via Snapchat and TikTok. The campaign did not communicate on X.
Podcasts
Both candidates used podcasts and collaborated with digital personalities to reach out to Gen Z voters. An analysis in Time (October 26, 2024) suggested that
Trump used podcasts with Joe Rogan and Theo Von to appeal to motivate young, often politically unengaged men, who were less likely to vote.
Harris — who was a guest on the comedy podcast “Call Her Daddy" — focused on people who were already engaged in an effort to get them more engaged.
Republicans prioritized the swing state voters.
Of the ads that aired, the Republican party focused 89% of their ads on battleground states (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin). The Democratic Party focused 59% of their overall airings on the same battleground states. Both campaigns stressed a primary message for each battleground state:
The Trump campaign focused on immigration
The Harris campaign focused on taxation
Source: AdImpact, November 1, 2024
Conclusion
According to Search Engine Land, a search engine marketing site, the most successful presidential campaign was determined by effective, simple messaging coupled with the best targeted media buy. By these measures, the Trump campaign strategy was more successful. In the end, it was the winning campaign.
The Trump campaign strategy was focused on three key messages (immigration, crime, and inflation), used a combative, in-your-face style of communication and — because most of the ads (90%) were aired in the battleground states — capitalized on the benefits of localized programmatic* media buys to match audiences with the most effective message in real time.
Compared to the Trump campaign strategy, the Harris messaging strategy was more complicated and the media strategy was more broadly targeted, reducing opportunities for demographic and geographic opportunities afforded by programmating media buys.
The Harris campaign struggled to address the concerns of the Democratic base (taxation, abortion, and healthcare) as well as to attract undecided voters with more mainstream concerns (Medicare and the economy), creating a more complicated messaging strategy. The tonality of the Democratic campaign ads stressed professionalism and competence.
It was more difficult for the Harris campaign to maximize the benefits of programmatic buying (matching campaign messages to the most appropriate audiences) due to their much broader target audience in terms of age, race, and lifestyles, as well as the reduced focus on local media buys. Specifically, compared to the Trump campaign, the Harris media buy was more evenly split between national (40%) and local (60%) media.
What were the solutions the presidential candidates offered?
Top Mentioned Issues in Broadcast Ads
The parties had very different messaging strategies. In terms of share of a candidate’s total aired advertising messages, the Trump campaign focused most heavily on immigration, inflation, and crime. The Harris campaign focused most heavily on taxation, abortion, the economy, and healthcare.
Tonality Differed Between the Trump and Harris Campaign Ads
The tonality of the 2024 Trump campaign was angry, combative, and muscular. The tonality of the 2024 Harris campaign was civil, professional, and compassionate.
Historically, campaigns have run a mix of positive ads that focus on the candidate’s qualifications and negative ads. Negative ads include those that feature straightforward attacks on the policies and/or character of the opponent as well as fear-mongering ads that promise certain dire consequences if the opponent is elected.
The Trump campaign took the unprecedented step of running 100% negative ads throughout the entire campaign. The ads focused on Harris’ failed policies and did not feature Trump.
The Harris campaign switched to mostly negative ads by September. The negative ads insinuated Trump’s unfitness for leadership rather than his failed policies. A content analysis by XR Extreme Reach determined, however, that the tonality of the Harris ads was never as negative as the Trump ads.
A comparison of the promises each candidate made to the voters
On October 16, The Los Angeles Times provided their readers with a comparison of four frequent promises heard from each candidate at rallies, news conferences, public appearances and media interviews. Trump asserted immediate action would be taken once he was in the White House. In fact, many of Trump’s promises could be initiated with executive orders. Harris’s promises, on the other hand, tended to rely upon congressional approval, a process that the public sees as fraught with red tape, bickering, and delayed gratification.
Trump’s Promises:
End taxes on Social Security benefits.
“Our seniors have been devastated by inflation. We’re gonna have no tax on Social Security for our seniors. If any senior doesn’t vote for Trump, we’re gonna have to send you to a psychiatrist to have your head examined,” Trump said in Mint Hill, N.C., last month. (LA Times)Massive increase in tarrifs.
“A tariff is a tax on a foreign country. That’s the way it is, whether you like it or not. A lot of people like to say, ‘Oh, it’s a tax on us.’ No, no, no. It’s a tax on a foreign country,” Trump said in a speech in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., in August. (LA Times)Mass deportations.
“We will send elite squads of ICE, Border Patrol and federal law enforcement officers to hunt down, arrest and deport every last illegal alien gang member until there is not a single one left in this country. And if they come back into our country, they will be told it is an automatic 10-year sentence in jail with no possibility of parole. And I’m hereby calling for the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American citizen or a law enforcement officer. With your vote, we will achieve complete and total victory over these sadistic monsters,” Trump said in Aurora, Colo., this month. (LA Times)More water for Californians.
“And the water’s going to come all the way down to Los Angeles, and you’re going to have more water than you ever saw. And the smelt is not making it anyway,” Trump said at a news conference in Rancho Palos Verdes on Sept. 13. (LA Times)
Harris’s Promises:
New homes and downpayment assistance.
“Part of my plan, under my opportunity economy, is to give first-time home buyers a $25,000 down payment assistance so they can just get their foot in the door to be able to then engage in what will prove to be their opportunity to build intergenerational wealth. (LA Times)Restoring abortion rights.
“I think we should eliminate the filibuster for Roe and get us to the point where 51 votes would be what we need to actually put back in law the protections for reproductive freedom and for the ability of every person and every woman to make decisions about their own body and not have their government tell them what to do,” Harris said in a September interview with Wisconsin Public Radio.Ban assault weapons.
“It is a false choice to suggest you are either in favor of the 2nd Amendment or you want to take everyone’s guns away. I am in favor of the 2nd Amendment, and I believe we need to reinstate the assault weapons ban and have universal background checks, safe storage laws and red-flag laws,” Harris said in a speech at the White House in September.Sign bipartisan border security bill.
[Referring to the bill that was stalled in Congress in May 2024:] “That bill would have put more resources to allow us to prosecute transnational criminal organizations for trafficking in guns, drugs and human beings. But you know what happened to that bill? Donald Trump got on the phone, called up some folks in Congress, and said, ‘kill the bill.’ And you know why? Because he preferred to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem,” Harris said during her debate with Trump on Sept. 10. (LA Times)
The Most Aired Broadcast Ads
Source: AdImpact, The 2024 Presidential Report, 10/07/24
Aired: 40,400 Times
Issues: Character
Most Aired States: TX, PA, MI
Aired by the Harris Campaign
Voters’ Concerns Prior to the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election
When U.S. citizens went to the polls in November 2024, what were the problems they wanted solved?
Trump supporters’ concerns were focused on the economy (93%), immigration (82%), violent crime (76%), and foreign policy (70%). Very few of Trump’s supporters were concerned about abortion (35%) and climate change (11%).
Harris supporters’ concerns were spread across health care (76%), the economy (68%), abortion (67%), climate change (62%), gun policy (59%) and foreign policy (54%). Less than half of Harris’ supporters were concerned with violent crime (46%) and immigration (39%).
The Trump campaign’s messaging was better aligned with most voters’ concerns.
In October 2024, the Gallup Poll confirmed voters’ concerns regarding the state of the economy (46% stated that the current economic conditions were bad; 62% felt that the economic outlook was getting worse). They were even more concerned about the direction of the country (72% stated they were dissatisfied), and they were dissatisfied with President Biden’s performance (62% disapproved).
When asked to evaluate Trump and Harris in terms of their abilities to address the economy, Trump registered significantly higher scores (54% to 45%). Trump was also seen as more capable to deal with immigration and foreign affairs.
Aired: 47,300 Times
Issues: Economy, Special Interests, Taxation
Most Aired States: TX, CA, GA
Aired by Harris Issue Groups
The basic task of each campaign is to identify the voters’ key concerns and provide a better solution than the opposing candidate.
A Pew Research poll among registered U.S. voters released in September 2024 indicated that voters’ top concerns were the economy, health care, supreme court appointments, and foreign policy.
This ranking obscured the intensity of the voter’s concerns by party, however. The intensity of Republican concern regarding the economy, immigration, and crime (their top three concerns) was significantly greater than the intensity of Democratic concern regarding healthcare, abortion, and the economy (their top three concerns). Among the top five concerns of all voters, Republicans were far more concerned than Democrats about three of them.
Aired: 28,900 Times
Issues: Immigration, Medicare, Social Security
Most Aired States: GA, NC, MI
Aired by the Trump Campaign
Aired: 20,500 Times
Issues: Crime, Immigration
Most Aired States: NC, GA, PA
Aired by Trump Issue Groups
The Media Challenge facing the Campaigns
By November 2024, U.S. voters reported election coverage exhaustion as well as skepticism regarding the factuality of both election news and advertising.
Prior to the 2024 U.S. Presidential election, voters reported election coverage fatigue. According to a Pew research report conducted among 9,680 U.S. adults during September 2024, not only were Americans weary of the election coverage, they were skeptical of the media reporting and political advertising on the grounds that it was hard to know if the information was true.
Nearly 75% of respondents said they saw inaccurate news reporting and 40% of them said they were exposed to misinformation frequently. Negative political advertising appears to have escalated their concerns, stoking their fears of artificial intelligence and false facts. However, only 35% of adults reported that they saw inaccurate reporting “very or somewhat often” from the sources they most often consulted. In other words, 65% of respondents were likely to trust their most often consulted news sources.
In addition, the Gallup poll demonstrated that U.S. registered voters felt that Harris was significantly more likeable, had stronger moral character, was more honest and trustworthy, and more likely to care about people like them. Respondents also said that they would be prouder of Harris than Trump as U.S. president. In the end, however, respondents considered Trump a stronger and more decisive leader than Harris, as well as more likely to get things done.