More research: TV ads slipping, online ads surging.

SAY Media conducted a bipartisan study to best understand how the changing media landscape may impact a campaign’s ability to effectively and efficiently reach voters in the upcoming election. And the results are a no-brainer for those of us working at the intersection of politics and technology. A few highlights…

• Almost 40% of all voters have a DVR at home. And when they’re watching TV this way, they aren’t watching commercials. Nearly 90% are skipping ads regularly when watching time-shifted programming.

• 36% of 18-44 year-olds and 15% of adults 45 and older are watching less live TV than they were a year ago.

• 2 out of 5 voters will NOT have watched live TV in the past week.

What does this mean for you? While TV advertising is still the most important tool in the campaign toolbox, it’s clear that a move towards online advertising is the way to go.

It’s time to at least start talking about the importance of online advertising and what a few targeted dollars can do to raise the profile of you, your candidate, or your organization.

The variety of ways you can use those advertising dollars online is skyrocketing. You can target specific audiences and show them ads with text-only ads, text and images or video based on keyword targeting or placements.

A recent study by Anzalone Liszt Research found that while internet viewing time is lower in comparison to TV viewing time, online viewing is growing. Video ads are increasingly important with 53% of internet traffic in the last year coming from video uploads and downloads.

During the 2010 election cycle we placed over $330,000 worth of online ads for our clients on Google, Facebook and targeted blogs and media outlets, generating over 345 million ad impressions. Got questions? We’ve got answers.