The digital advertising landscape is undergoing a significant transformation as publishers increasingly seek to reclaim billions lost annually to programmatic intermediaries, particularly during high-spending election cycles. In a move aimed at reshaping this dynamic, supply-side platform OpenX, in collaboration with data provider Givsly, has introduced a novel curation and targeting solution specifically designed for political campaigns. This innovative tool diverges from traditional party affiliation data, empowering political advertisers to connect with voters based on their deeply held values across premium Connected TV (CTV) and digital publishing environments that permit political advertising.
The initiative arrives at a pivotal moment, coinciding with what is projected to be one of the most expensive election seasons in history. Industry projections from AdImpact forecast a staggering $10.8 billion in political ad spend for the current year, representing a substantial 20% increase from the 2022 midterms and narrowly trailing the $11.1 billion expended during the 2024 presidential race. This immense financial influx underscores the urgency for publishers to exert greater control over pricing, ensure brand safety, and cultivate more direct, curated buying relationships. Simultaneously, political advertisers are eager to circumvent undesirable ad placements and strategically engage with previously untapped segments of potential swing voters.
Addressing the Programmatic Wild West in Political Advertising
The introduction of curated deal structures is poised to bring much-needed predictability to what has historically been a volatile and often chaotic "spray and pray" programmatic political advertising marketplace. Danielle Varvaro, Chief Revenue Officer at Newsweek, one of the launch partners for the new solution, articulated this sentiment. "Curated deal structures introduce predictability into what’s historically been a chaotic ‘spray and pray’ programmatic political advertising marketplace," Varvaro stated. "It also helps reduce duplication in the supply path and supports more stable pricing."
This shift allows publishers to move beyond the pursuit of fleeting ad revenue spikes during election periods and instead focus on building "sustainable yield." Varvaro further explained that sell-side curation grants publishers enhanced agency in their participation within the political ad market. "So we can access the incremental spend while maintaining our governance, our compliance, and our brand integrity," she added. This approach enables publishers to benefit from the heightened demand of election seasons without compromising their editorial standards or brand reputation.
The Mechanics of Values-Based Targeting
The innovative solution operates by leveraging Givsly’s extensive data, which aggregates signals from over 500 non-profit organizations. This data forms the basis for creating distinct audience segments centered around shared values, such as support for women’s empowerment or environmental sustainability. OpenX then utilizes its proprietary identity graph to match these value-based signals, identifying Givsly’s defined audiences across its network of publisher clients. These meticulously crafted audience segments are then packaged into "deal IDs," which can be seamlessly activated in both direct and programmatic advertising buys.
Amanda Forrester, SVP of Marketing and Communications at OpenX, elaborated on the layered approach to targeting. "Givsly’s data is one enrichment layer," Forrester explained. "Buyers can also target specific geos and ZIP codes and zero in on particular voting districts." However, she cautioned that the combination of values-based data with third-party audiences from other vendors could potentially restrict available inventory.
Despite this, the integration of Givsly’s data provides political campaigns with a powerful new avenue to reach voters whose personal values resonate with their candidate’s platform, even in the absence of direct party affiliation data. This capability extends to identifying new potential voters within ZIP codes where campaigns may already possess extensive party affiliation data, thereby facilitating the activation of new voter blocs rather than merely reinforcing existing supporter bases. Moreover, the platform offers advertisers granular, localized reporting on reach and frequency at the county, Designated Market Area (DMA), and ZIP code levels. This allows for campaign optimization toward specific outcomes, such as driving traffic to campaign websites or voter registration pages, thereby enhancing the measurability and effectiveness of political ad spend.
A Drive Towards Precision and Predictability
This sophisticated targeting solution is underpinned by two significant recent shifts within the digital advertising industry: the ascendance of sell-side curation and a heightened emphasis on audience precision over sheer volume. These trends have collectively empowered publishers to play a more active role in programmatic dealmaking.
Political advertisers, like their brand-focused counterparts, are increasingly prioritizing measurable outcomes. This demand has become evident in numerous negotiations for midterm ad buys conducted thus far. "Historically, political buying could be highly transactional, particularly within the programmatic channels during peak seasons, when buyers are competing aggressively for limited supply," Varvaro observed. "But this cycle, political advertisers are much more focused on curated access to that supply path, and also transparency and compliance."
For Newsweek, participating in OpenX’s curated political packages serves a dual purpose: safeguarding its supply chain during periods of intense demand and reinforcing its image as a premium, centrist news publisher. However, the publisher maintains a nuanced approach to political advertising. While Newsweek is amenable to running political ads across its digital properties, it has opted not to run such advertisements on CTV inventory sold through Adprime, a healthcare-focused Demand-Side Platform (DSP) acquired by the company last June. This specific inventory is not part of its current partnership with OpenX, illustrating the deliberate control publishers are now exerting over their ad placements.
Re-Engaging Publishers in the Political Arena
Despite the innovations, not all media companies are readily embracing political advertising due to ongoing societal polarization and persistent brand safety concerns. Political buyers, too, exhibit distinct preferences regarding the publishers they choose to support. OpenX has proactively integrated robust controls into its system to address these hesitations from both sides of the supply chain.
Through the OpenXSelect curation platform, advertisers can establish custom brand standards and curate "allow lists" of preferred publishers. A key advantage of this sell-side curation is that buyers can activate these lists across any DSP without the need for platform-specific reconfiguration. "Because this curation happens on the sell side, buyers can activate those lists in any DSP once without having to reconfigure for each platform," Forrester noted.
On the publisher side, advertiser approval lists are provided to ensure that curated packages do not inadvertently disrupt or cannibalize existing deals. Publishers also retain the right to review ad creative, verifying its alignment with their organizational values and determining the stringency of the review process. Some publishers may opt for a thorough vetting of every political ad, while others may choose to whitelist trusted advertisers, streamlining the review process.
OpenX emphasizes that participation in political advertising is entirely opt-in, and currently, over half of its publisher partners have enabled such advertising. Even among participating publishers, there remains the flexibility to block political ads from appearing on specific site subsections or domains. Consequently, political campaigns can only bid on inventory that has been explicitly approved by the publisher.
OpenX anticipates that these comprehensive controls will encourage publishers who have previously withdrawn from political advertising due to concerns about brand alignment, data governance, and privacy compliance to reconsider their stance. "If you can deliver a solution that has strong guardrails and protections, and that keeps content aligned with other quality publishers, then people are more comfortable providing access," Forrester concluded. This commitment to providing a secure and controlled environment is crucial for rebuilding trust and facilitating broader publisher participation in the political advertising ecosystem.
The integration of Givsly’s values-based data, matched against OpenX’s identity graph, represents a significant step towards a more sophisticated and ethical approach to political advertising. By moving beyond simple demographic or party affiliation metrics, campaigns can now engage with voters on a deeper level, fostering more meaningful connections and potentially influencing voter behavior in a more targeted and responsible manner. This evolution in programmatic advertising is likely to set a new standard for political campaigns seeking to navigate the complex digital landscape in future election cycles.
