The landscape of political advertising, a multi-billion dollar industry, is undergoing a significant transformation with the introduction of a new sell-side curation and targeting solution. This initiative, spearheaded by supply-side platform OpenX in collaboration with data provider Givsly, aims to recapture substantial digital ad dollars that have historically flowed to programmatic middlemen, offering publishers greater control and advertisers more precise targeting capabilities. The solution, launched this past Monday, moves beyond traditional party affiliation data to allow political campaigns to connect with voters based on their deeply held values, particularly across premium Connected TV (CTV) and digital publishing environments that permit political advertisements.
This strategic move arrives as the nation gears up for another election cycle projected to witness unprecedented spending. Industry projections from AdImpact forecast a staggering $10.8 billion in political ad expenditure for the current year, marking a substantial 20% increase from the 2022 midterms and nearly matching the $11.1 billion spent during the 2024 presidential race. This immense financial influx underscores the urgent need for publishers to exert tighter control over pricing and ensure brand safety. Curated deals, in turn, empower political advertisers to circumvent undesirable ad placements and tap into previously unreached segments of potential swing voters, thereby optimizing their campaign outreach.
Redefining Predictability in Political Programmatic Advertising
The introduction of curated deal structures marks a pivotal shift from the historically volatile and often chaotic "spray and pray" approach prevalent in the programmatic political advertising marketplace. Danielle Varvaro, Chief Revenue Officer at Newsweek, a launch partner for the new solution, highlighted the benefits of this new paradigm. "Curated deal structures introduce predictability into what’s historically been a chaotic ‘spray and pray’ programmatic political advertising marketplace," Varvaro stated. She further elaborated that the initiative "helps reduce duplication in the supply path and supports more stable pricing."
This enhanced predictability allows publishers to move away from a short-term, election-cycle-driven revenue surge and instead focus on cultivating "sustainable yield." Varvaro emphasized that sell-side curation grants publishers greater 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, underscoring the importance of upholding editorial standards and brand reputation amidst the pressures of high-stakes political advertising.
The mechanics of this innovative solution involve Givsly leveraging data signals derived from over 500 non-profit organizations to construct audience segments based on shared values. These values can encompass a broad spectrum, from women’s empowerment initiatives to environmental sustainability causes. OpenX then meticulously matches these value-based signals against its robust identity graph to identify Givsly’s meticulously defined audiences across its network of publisher clients. These precisely defined audience segments are then packaged into deal IDs, which can be seamlessly activated for both direct and programmatic advertising buys.
Amanda Forrester, SVP of Marketing and Communications at OpenX, explained that Givsly’s data represents a crucial enrichment layer for advertisers. "Buyers can also target specific geos and ZIP codes and zero in on particular voting districts," Forrester noted. However, she cautioned that the indiscriminate combination of values-based data with third-party audiences from various vendors could potentially lead to supply constraints. Despite this, the integration of Givsly’s data provides political campaigns with a powerful new avenue to reach voters whose values resonate with their candidate’s platform, even in the absence of traditional party affiliation data. This capability extends to identifying new potential voters within ZIP codes where a campaign may already possess extensive party affiliation data, thereby facilitating the activation of new voter bases rather than merely reinforcing existing support.
Furthermore, advertisers gain access to localized reporting on reach and frequency metrics, broken down to the county, Designated Market Area (DMA), and ZIP code levels. This granular reporting enables them to optimize campaigns with a clear focus on desired outcomes, such as driving traffic to campaign websites or voter registration pages.
The Growing Demand for Precision in Political Campaigns
The development of this new solution is intrinsically linked to two significant industry shifts that have empowered publishers to play a more active role in programmatic dealmaking. Firstly, the past few years have witnessed a pronounced rise in sell-side curation. This trend has coincided with a second, equally impactful development: an escalating emphasis on audience precision over sheer volume. Varvaro pointed out that political advertisers are not immune to this broader industry trend. "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 observed.
Reflecting on historical practices, Varvaro remarked, "Historically, political buying could be highly transactional, particularly within the programmatic channels during peak seasons, when buyers are competing aggressively for limited supply." However, she emphasized that the current cycle reflects a distinct evolution in advertiser priorities. 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 represents a strategic move to safeguard its supply chain during periods of heightened demand. It also serves to reinforce its established reputation as a premium, centrist news publisher. Varvaro confirmed that while Newsweek is amenable to running political advertisements across its diverse range of websites and verticals, it will not be placing political spots on CTV inventory sold through Adprime, its healthcare-focused demand-side platform acquired in June of last year. This specific inventory is not part of its current partnership with OpenX, underscoring the granular control publishers can now exert.
Encouraging Publisher Participation in the Political Arena
Despite the advancements, not all media companies are readily embracing political advertising due to ongoing societal polarization and persistent brand safety concerns. Similarly, political buyers exhibit their own 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.
Forrester explained that through the OpenX Select curation platform, advertisers are empowered to establish custom brand standards and create precise allow lists of publishers. A key advantage of this sell-side curation is that buyers can activate these pre-defined lists across any demand-side platform without the need for repeated reconfiguration for each individual platform.
Simultaneously, publishers are provided with advertiser approval lists, a crucial mechanism to ensure that curated packages do not inadvertently cannibalize existing direct deals. Forrester elaborated that publishers can also meticulously review ad creative to verify its alignment with their brand values. Furthermore, they retain the autonomy to dictate the rigor of the creative review process, with some opting to vet every single political ad while others choose to whitelist trusted advertisers and streamline the review process.
OpenX has emphasized that participation in this program is entirely opt-in, and a significant majority, exceeding fifty percent, of its publisher partners have already enabled political advertising. Even within this opt-in framework, participating publishers retain the ability to block political advertisements from appearing on specific site subsections or domains. This granular control ensures that political campaigns can only bid on inventory that has been explicitly approved by the publisher, maintaining editorial integrity and brand safety.
OpenX’s overarching objective with these comprehensive controls is to encourage publishers who may 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, highlighting the crucial role of trust and safety in re-engaging publishers with the political advertising ecosystem.
The Evolving Dynamics of Political Ad Spend
The shift towards curated deals and value-based targeting is not merely a technological advancement; it reflects a deeper evolution in how political campaigns approach advertising and how publishers manage their digital assets. Historically, the programmatic political ad market has been characterized by a high degree of urgency and a focus on volume, particularly during peak election periods. This environment often led to inflated prices and a lack of transparency, with publishers struggling to maintain control over the types of ads that appeared on their platforms.
The introduction of solutions like the one developed by OpenX and Givsly aims to rectify these imbalances. By enabling publishers to curate their own inventory and offer targeted packages based on values rather than broad demographic or party affiliations, they can command higher CPMs (cost per mille, or cost per thousand impressions) and ensure that political ads align with their brand identity and audience.
For advertisers, the benefits are equally significant. The ability to target voters based on their values allows for more nuanced and effective messaging. Instead of a broad appeal, campaigns can tailor their communication to resonate with specific voter segments who prioritize certain issues. This precision can lead to higher engagement rates, improved conversion metrics (such as website visits or donations), and ultimately, a more efficient allocation of campaign budgets.
The CTV component of this solution is particularly noteworthy. As Connected TV viewership continues to surge, particularly among younger demographics and cord-cutters, it presents a significant opportunity for political advertisers. However, the fragmented nature of CTV advertising has often made it challenging to achieve precise targeting and robust measurement. The OpenX and Givsly partnership aims to bring a level of programmatic sophistication and data-driven accuracy to CTV political advertising that has been largely absent.
Data Privacy and Compliance: Paramount Concerns
In an era of increasing scrutiny over data privacy and compliance, particularly in political advertising, the emphasis on curated deals and publisher control is more critical than ever. Regulations surrounding data usage and political ad disclosures are constantly evolving, and publishers are keenly aware of the potential reputational and legal risks associated with non-compliance.
The OpenX Select platform’s emphasis on allow lists, publisher approval, and the ability for publishers to vet ad creative directly addresses these concerns. By providing publishers with greater oversight, the solution fosters an environment where political advertising can be conducted responsibly and transparently. This not only protects publishers but also builds greater trust among consumers, who are increasingly wary of how their data is being used and the messages they are being exposed to.
The collaboration with Givsly, which sources its data from non-profit organizations, suggests a commitment to utilizing data in a manner that is both ethical and privacy-conscious. By focusing on aggregated value signals rather than personally identifiable information, the solution aligns with emerging data privacy best practices and consumer expectations.
The Future of Political Advertising: A More Curated and Value-Driven Approach
The launch of this new solution by OpenX and Givsly represents a significant step towards a more sophisticated, publisher-centric, and value-driven model for political advertising. As election cycles become more competitive and digital ad spend continues to grow, the demand for precision, transparency, and brand safety will only intensify.
This initiative has the potential to not only redirect billions in ad dollars back to publishers but also to fundamentally alter how political campaigns engage with voters in the digital realm. By moving beyond traditional targeting methods and embracing a values-based approach, political advertisers can foster deeper connections with their audiences, while publishers can enhance their revenue streams and maintain their editorial integrity. The success of this endeavor will likely pave the way for further innovation in the programmatic advertising space, setting a new standard for how political campaigns navigate the complex and ever-evolving digital media landscape.
