Recent data on advertising spending by the presidential campaigns and their allies reveals a stark contrast in messaging approaches between the Republican and Democratic sides. Since Kamala Harris became the Democratic presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump and his allies have predominantly focused on negative advertising, while Harris and her allies have adopted a more balanced approach.
According to ad tracking firm AdImpact, Republican presidential ad spending on broadcast TV has been heavily skewed towards negative ads, accounting for about 90% of their total spending, which amounts to $178 million out of $199 million. In comparison, Democrats have allocated approximately 20% of their ad budget to negative ads, with the majority of their spending going towards contrast ads at slightly over 40% and positive ads at just under 40%.
Both campaigns and their respective allies have maintained consistent messaging patterns. Trump's campaign has directed around 70% of its advertising budget towards negative ads since Biden dropped out, with about 30% allocated to contrast ads. Pro-Trump outside groups have been even more focused on negative ads, with 99% of their spending in that category.
On the other hand, the Harris campaign has distributed its ad spending more evenly, with approximately 43% allocated to contrast ads, 39% to positive ads, and 19% to negative ads. Pro-Harris outside groups have followed a similar pattern, with 39% on contrast ads, 40% on positive ads, and 21% on negative ads.
These findings highlight the divergent strategies employed by the two campaigns in shaping their messaging to voters. While Trump and his allies have heavily relied on negative advertising, Harris and her allies have opted for a more balanced mix of contrast, positive, and negative ads to convey their respective messages.
