The intensifying battle for digital ad revenue during election seasons has a new contender: sell-side curation. As publishers historically lose billions to programmatic middlemen, a new solution aims to shift the calculus by offering political advertisers more precise targeting based on voter values rather than traditional party affiliations. Supply-side platform OpenX, in collaboration with data provider Givsly, has launched a novel curation and targeting tool specifically designed for political campaigns. This initiative seeks to empower publishers with greater control over their ad inventory and pricing, while offering advertisers a more effective and values-aligned way to reach potential voters across premium Connected TV (CTV) and digital platforms that permit political advertising.
The groundbreaking collaboration, announced earlier this week, represents a significant step towards a more controlled and data-driven political advertising marketplace. By leveraging Givsly’s unique approach to audience segmentation, which is built on data signals from over 500 non-profit organizations, political campaigns can now target voters based on deeply held values such as environmental sustainability or women’s empowerment. This marks a departure from the often blunt instruments of party affiliation data, which can be less nuanced and may miss crucial segments of the electorate. OpenX then utilizes its robust identity graph to match these value-based audience segments, making them available to advertisers through deal IDs that can be activated in both direct and programmatic buys.
Initial launch partners for this innovative solution include prominent media entities such as Newsweek, alongside CTV platforms Plex, Xumo, and Scripps. These partnerships signal a growing recognition among publishers and technology providers of the need for more sophisticated tools to navigate the complex and high-stakes political advertising landscape. The timing of this launch is particularly noteworthy, coinciding with what is projected to be another record-breaking election cycle in terms of ad spending.
The Escalating Stakes of Political Ad Spending
The U.S. political advertising market is a colossal and increasingly digital-first enterprise. Projections from AdImpact indicate that total political ad spend for the current year is set to reach an estimated $10.8 billion. This figure represents a substantial 20% increase compared to the 2022 midterm elections and nearly mirrors the $11.1 billion spent during the 2024 presidential race. This immense financial commitment underscores the critical importance of efficient and effective advertising strategies for campaigns seeking to influence public opinion and mobilize voters.
For publishers, this surge in spending presents both an opportunity and a challenge. While the potential for revenue is significant, the historical reliance on programmatic channels has often led to reduced control over pricing, brand safety concerns, and a diminished share of the ad dollar due to the proliferation of intermediaries. The current climate, characterized by heightened scrutiny of advertising placements and a demand for measurable outcomes, makes the traditional "spray and pray" approach increasingly untenable. Curated deals, such as the one pioneered by OpenX and Givsly, offer a compelling alternative, allowing publishers to command better pricing and ensure brand integrity while enabling advertisers to avoid undesirable placements and identify untapped voter demographics.
Introducing Predictability to Political Programmatic
The introduction of curated deal structures is poised to bring much-needed predictability to a political programmatic advertising marketplace that has historically been characterized by its chaotic nature. Danielle Varvaro, Chief Revenue Officer at Newsweek, highlighted the transformative potential of this approach. "Curated deal structures introduce predictability into what’s historically been a chaotic ‘spray and pray’ programmatic political advertising marketplace," Varvaro stated. She further emphasized the benefits for publishers, noting that such initiatives "help reduce duplication in the supply path and supports more stable pricing."
This shift allows publishers to move beyond the short-term revenue spikes often associated with election seasons and instead focus on building "sustainable yield." Varvaro elaborated on the strategic advantage for publishers: "Curation on the sell side also gives publishers greater control over how they participate in the political ad market, so we can access the incremental spend while maintaining our governance, our compliance and our brand integrity." This means publishers can participate in the lucrative political ad market without compromising their editorial standards or brand reputation.
The Mechanics of Values-Based Targeting
The functionality of the OpenX and Givsly solution hinges on a sophisticated integration of data and technology. Givsly’s core strength lies in its ability to aggregate data signals from a vast network of non-profit organizations. These signals are then used to construct nuanced audience profiles based on shared values and interests. For example, a campaign might aim to reach voters who have demonstrated support for initiatives related to education reform or healthcare access.
OpenX’s role is to bridge this valuable data with its extensive publisher network. By matching Givsly’s value-based audience segments against OpenX’s proprietary identity graph, the platform can accurately identify and target these specific voter groups across participating premium publishers. The resulting audience segments are then packaged into "deal IDs," which serve as unique identifiers that can be easily activated by advertisers through direct deals or within programmatic buying platforms.
Amanda Forrester, SVP of Marketing and Communications at OpenX, explained the layered approach to targeting. "Givsly’s data is one enrichment layer," Forrester said. "Buyers can also target specific geos and ZIP codes and zero in on particular voting districts." While acknowledging that combining Givsly’s unique data with other third-party audience segments might potentially constrain supply, Forrester underscored the primary benefit: enabling political campaigns to connect with voters whose values resonate with their candidate’s platform, even in the absence of traditional party affiliation data. This capability is particularly valuable for campaigns looking to engage new voter segments or persuade undecided voters in areas where party affiliation data might be less informative.
Furthermore, the solution provides advertisers with granular reporting capabilities, offering localized insights into reach and frequency at the county, Designated Market Area (DMA), and ZIP code levels. This allows for campaign optimization towards specific, measurable outcomes, such as driving traffic to a campaign website or encouraging voter registration.
The Demand for Precision in a Polarized Landscape
This innovative approach to political advertising is not an isolated development but rather a manifestation of broader trends shaping the digital advertising ecosystem. Two significant industry shifts have paved the way for greater publisher involvement in programmatic dealmaking: the ascendance of sell-side curation and a heightened focus on audience precision over sheer volume.
Varvaro of Newsweek emphasized this convergence. "Political advertisers are no exception," she stated. "They’re just as concerned with driving measurable outcomes as any brand, and that’s come out in many of the negotiations for midterm ad buys that have taken place so far this year." She contrasted the current environment with historical practices: "Historically, political buying could be highly transactional, particularly within the programmatic channels during peak seasons, when buyers are competing aggressively for limited supply." However, this cycle, political advertisers are demonstrating a clear preference for "curated access to that supply path, and also transparency and compliance."
For Newsweek, participating in OpenX’s curated political packages represents a strategic move to safeguard its supply chain during periods of intense demand. It also serves to reinforce its standing as a premium, centrist news publisher. However, the publication maintains strict controls over where political ads appear. While Newsweek is open to running political ads across its digital properties, it has opted not to run them on CTV inventory sold through Adprime, a healthcare-focused Demand-Side Platform (DSP) acquired by Newsweek last June. This decision highlights the importance of publisher-controlled curation, as the Adprime inventory is not part of its partnership with OpenX.
Re-engaging Publishers with Political Advertising
Despite the opportunities, not all media companies are eager to embrace political advertising. Ongoing societal polarization and persistent brand safety concerns continue to be significant deterrents. Similarly, political buyers often have specific preferences regarding the publishers they choose to support. OpenX has proactively addressed these hesitations on both sides of the supply chain by building robust controls into its system.
For advertisers, the OpenX Select curation platform allows for the establishment of custom brand standards and the creation of "allow lists" of preferred publishers. A key advantage of this sell-side curation is that these customized lists can be activated across any DSP without the need for repetitive reconfiguration.
Publishers, in turn, benefit from advertiser approval lists, which help ensure that curated packages do not inadvertently disrupt or devalue existing deals. They also retain the critical ability to review ad creative, ensuring alignment with their editorial values and brand integrity. The level of scrutiny can be tailored, with some publishers opting to vet every political ad, while others may whitelist trusted advertisers for a more streamlined process.
OpenX emphasizes that participation in its political advertising framework is entirely opt-in, and a significant majority of its publisher partners have enabled this functionality. Even for participating publishers, there remains the flexibility to block political ads from specific site subsections or domains. Political campaigns are thus restricted to bidding on inventory that has been explicitly approved by the publisher, providing a layer of assurance and control.
The overarching goal of these implemented controls is to encourage publishers who may have previously withdrawn from political advertising due to concerns about brand alignment, data governance, or 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 explained. This approach aims to foster a more trusted and controlled environment for political advertising, benefiting both publishers and advertisers alike, and ultimately aiming to reclaim a significant portion of ad dollars that have historically flowed through less transparent channels.
The integration of values-based targeting, coupled with robust publisher controls, represents a forward-thinking strategy to navigate the complexities of the modern digital advertising landscape. As election cycles become increasingly digital and high-stakes, solutions that prioritize precision, transparency, and brand integrity are likely to become the standard for campaigns and publishers alike. The success of this initiative by OpenX and Givsly could set a new precedent for how political advertising is conducted in the digital age, promising a more equitable distribution of ad revenue and a more effective way for campaigns to connect with the electorate.
