Podcasts Offer Candidates Way To Target Voter Niches, Says Edison Research.

From “Call Her Daddy” to “Impaulsive with Logan Paul,” the political campaign trail has run through podcasting in recent days, including shows that are not typically focused on politics. Edison Research, which does election exit polling as well as its work in media, says there is good reason for candidates to knock on podcasters’ doors. The firm says podcasts reach 48% of those aged 18 to 34 each week. And that group can be a tough voter to crack since a majority 55% doesn’t identify with either the Democrats or Republicans, while 38% consider themselves to be Independents.

Similar to traditional advertisers, podcasts also offer a way for campaigns to target their outreach. The Alex Cooper-hosted “Call Her Daddy” is the second most listened-to podcast among women aged 18 to 29, and ranks third among women overall. The appearance by Vice President Kamala Harris was no coincidence as she has focused on energizing female voters as part of her get-out-the-vote strategy. Helping that cause, Cooper mainly spoke with Harris about the battle over abortion rights, a topic aligned with her podcast.

“This isn’t a one-sided conversation,” Cooper told listeners. “We reached out to former President Donald Trump to come on the show. If he also wants to have a meaningful, in-depth conversation about women’s rights in this country, then he is welcome on ‘Call Her Daddy’ anytime.”

The Harris campaign is also targeting young men of color, and that led her to a recent appearance on the “All the Smoke” podcast. Hosted by two former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Edison notes that the show ranks No. 18 among the most listened-to podcasts by African Americans. Additionally, with its NBA ties, the audience is overwhelmingly male (89%) and mostly aged 25 to 44.

During the episode, Harris not only talked about basketball and her Golden State Warriors affection, but issues surrounding race, law enforcement, mental health, and her blended family. “The gains we’ve made, they will not be permanent unless we stay on it,” Harris told listeners. “You can’t take any of our rights for granted, and that’s why we have to stay active. And that’s about voting.

The deepening sea of conservative-leaning podcasts has helped former President Trump, who has spent much of the campaign season sitting down for interviews with podcast hosts. They include “This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von” and the “Lex Fridman Podcast,” which Edison points out both over-deliver for younger white men. “This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von” ranks No. 5 among men 18-34, according to its research, and Fridman ranks No. 36 among white men overall.

“The Trump campaign appears to be targeting shows in a very similar strain as the Harris campaign, seemingly hoping to reach young, persuadable voters, just differing on the makeup of the audience,” Edison says in a blog post. “And some of these shows are no doubt benefiting from being introduced to some new listeners that these high-profile guests have attracted, as well.”

Bill Burton, a national spokesperson for Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, told the Los Angeles Times that “the landscape has completely changed” and candidates now realize they need to go where voters are getting their information about a race. That means heading beyond traditional outlets.

Republican strategist Kevin Madden agreed, telling the Times that the days of reaching voters on the nightly newscasts are over. “You have this almost omnipresent approach communicating through all these channels based on what you know about their issues and what you know about peer sets,” he said.