Audio Gives Campaigns More Ways To Reach Voters.

As Election Day approaches, campaigns are looking for ways to reach voters across an increasingly crowded media landscape. Television remains a major tool for building awareness, while radio, podcasts and streaming audio can extend campaign messages into commutes, workdays and other daily routines, according to iHeartMedia.

Political campaigns are increasingly combining television and audio advertising as Election Day approaches, using the two media platforms to reach voters across different parts of their daily routines.

Television remains a major tool for introducing candidates, communicating issues and building awareness among large audiences. However, iHeartMedia, citing Nielsen analysis, makes the case that audio can reach voters during periods when they’re not watching TV, including commutes, workdays, errands, sporting events and other activities.

The approach is designed to complement television rather than replace it. Campaigns can use television to establish a message and audio to reinforce it through radio, podcasts and streaming services.

A typical voter may encounter campaign messaging while listening to local radio during a morning commute, streaming audio at work or on the go, listening to podcasts, following local sports broadcasts and community conversations, and watching television later in the day.

Those multiple points of contact can give campaigns additional opportunities to reinforce candidate recognition, campaign priorities and voter motivation.

The strategy becomes particularly relevant as campaigns increase TV spending in the weeks before Election Day. While additional television spending can increase frequency among existing audiences, audio can provide incremental reach among voters who may not be exposed to additional television advertising.

According to a Nielsen Media Impact analysis of nine key markets, shifting the next 250 gross rating points from TV to radio significantly increased voter reach vs. investing those points in television alone.

The analysis found registered-voter reach of as much as 62% and swing-voter reach of as much as 69%. In addition, it found that the radio strategy was 25% to 31% more cost-efficient than additional television weight.

The findings suggest audio can provide campaigns with another way to reach voters without relying solely on additional television impressions.

Trust and familiarity also play a role in the strategy. Broadcast radio, podcasts and streaming audio allow voters to consume content from hosts, personalities and local voices they may have followed for years.

The approach is consistent with iHeartMedia’s Guaranteed Human strategy, which emphasizes human connection through live radio, podcasts, streaming audio, influencers and community-focused content.

For campaigns, those formats can place political advertising within media environments that are familiar to voters and connected to local communities.

The broader strategy reflects how voters consume media across multiple platforms rather than relying on a single source throughout the day. Television can provide broad visibility, while audio can extend campaign messaging into additional settings and potentially increase frequency among targeted audiences.

By combining the reach of television with the daily presence of audio, campaigns can create more opportunities to contact voters during the weeks leading up to Election Day.