GfK Study: TV Is Leading Influencer of Voters

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The Television Bureau of Advertising unveiled a study from market research firm GfK Thursday proving the significance of television as a top influencer of voters.

The study, which was administered right after Kentucky’s gubernatorial election and in conjunction with TVB’s We Get Voters initiative, looked at the media influences of voters and what they did after being exposed to political advertising. 70% of respondents to the study pointed to TV as the most important medium for issue awareness, while 51% called it the most important platform for influencing them to vote. Interestingly, millennials are more impacted by political advertising on TV than any other medium; in fact, TV was chosen over social media by a 6 to 1 margin.

64% of responders pinpointed their most likely source for online news as their local TV station websites. In comparison, 11% chose social media. 76% watch video ads on their local TV websites. 70% have taken action in response to a TV political ad — 31% discussed the ad or candidate, while 26% turned to the Internet to find out more about the candidate.

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“This latest research study proves what winning campaigns have known all along, that there is no better advertising platform to reach and motivate voters than television. In fact, it’s not even close,” said Steve Lanzano, TVB president. “As the presidential contests move into the critical March primaries, the campaigns should remember that TV advertising remains the top influencer of voter behavior, impacting not only awareness of the candidates but voters’ final decisions as well. This research reinforces the fact that local broadcast TV is a vital component in winning elections.”

Click here to see the poll results.

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