Tru Optik, TargetSmart Link for Political Ads

Tru Optik said it is working with TargetSmart to enable candidates to target voters with ad campaign across mobile, digital, over-the-top and connected TV.

Candidates are using data more frequently to make sure they’re reaching voters with the right messages. Digital delivery systems, including over-the-top, allows them to hit more precise targets than linear TV, which delivers a more massive audience

“Voters are getting more and more of their election content via non-traditional sources. TargetSmart has the most comprehensive and accurate voter data offering and is a lynchpin to Democratic campaigns and Progressive organizations using these sources effectively. Now through our partnership, TargetSmart clients can layer in the world's largest anonymized media and entertainment dataset to ensure that they are delivering the right message through the right format/medium,” said Andre Swanston, co-founder and CEO of Tru Optik, which offers audience measurement and data management for OTT.

As an example, Swanston said that if a candidate in South Florida understands that a certain voter segment over indexes in watching Scandal, that candidate can now purchase inventory on OTT, mobile, and addressable TV platforms to measurable segments of people in that district who have watched that show.

“Data drives every decision a campaign makes. The quality of data and insights that Tru Optik has and the ability for us to integrate our data with theirs, is a game changer. Connected TV will undoubtedly be crucial this year, and now Progressives and Democrats can use our data to make the same smart decisions through Tru Optik that we’ve been successful in promoting across multi-channel targeting for several campaign cycles,” said Bill Russell ,director of digital partnerships, at TargetSmart.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.