Analyzing 2024 Political Advertising Post Presidential Debate
September 12, 2024
To effectively analyze how political advertising will be impacted following the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, we need to dive into key moments and themes that emerged from the debate. Political ads in the weeks leading up to the election will likely amplify these moments, pushing narratives that reflect each candidate's strengths, weaknesses, and the broader issues that are top of mind for voters.
Let’s break down how specific exchanges between Harris and Trump could influence the nature of political advertising, drawing on examples from the debate and illustrating how these moments might shape the final push to election day.
Post-Debate Themes Drive Messaging
During the Harris-Trump debate, key themes such as the economy, healthcare, foreign policy, and immigration were front and center. Harris emphasized her stance on healthcare and the economy, focusing on the importance of maintaining affordable healthcare access and rebuilding the middle class. Trump, in contrast, doubled down on his economic record, highlighting low unemployment rates during his presidency and accusing Democrats of promoting policies that would stifle economic growth.
Political ads for Harris will likely pull directly from her performance during the debate, where she clearly positioned herself as a champion of healthcare access and economic equity. Expect to see ads showcasing her commitment to protecting the Affordable Care Act and expanding healthcare services, using debate clips where she outlined the importance of “keeping families secure.” On the flip side, Trump’s team will focus on ads that emphasize his strong economic record, especially among small business owners and blue-collar workers, with a clear message that a second Trump presidency would ensure continued economic growth.
For both candidates, these ads will target not just a national audience but specific voter groups who may be undecided or leaning one way. Harris’s ads could resonate strongly with middle-income families, particularly those who have faced healthcare challenges, while Trump’s ads will appeal to working-class Americans who feel they benefited from his economic policies.
Microtargeting and the Battle for Swing Voters
A key moment in the debate came when Harris criticized Trump’s foreign policy, particularly his dealings with NATO and China, painting his approach as reckless and damaging to American global leadership. In response, Trump touted his “America First” policy, arguing that his approach was necessary to protect American jobs and assert strength abroad.
Post-debate political advertising will likely reflect these competing visions of America’s role on the world stage, with Harris’s camp pushing ads that highlight her preference for diplomacy and international cooperation, tailored to college-educated voters and suburban districts, where global issues matter more. Her team may focus on swing voters in battleground states, like Pennsylvania or Michigan, with ads emphasizing the importance of restoring international alliances and trade partnerships to protect American industries and jobs.
Trump’s ads, by contrast, will emphasize the same themes he hit during the debate, targeting rural voters, working-class communities, and veterans who resonate with his focus on prioritizing American interests. These ads will push the message that his administration’s policies protected the country from economic exploitation by China and revitalized American manufacturing jobs.
Negative Ads and Attack Strategies
The Harris-Trump debate, like most debates, included plenty of personal and policy attacks. Harris criticized Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, accusing him of putting lives at risk by downplaying the virus. She also raised issues around Trump’s management of healthcare, accusing him of threatening to dismantle protections for people with preexisting conditions.
Expect Harris’s campaign to build on these criticisms in their advertising, featuring ads that hammer home Trump’s perceived failures on COVID-19 and healthcare. Clips from the debate where Harris forcefully criticized Trump’s approach to handling the pandemic will likely be replayed across media, along with references to her promise of restoring trust in public health.
Conversely, Trump’s team will likely respond with ads that attack Harris for being too liberal, portraying her as out of touch with mainstream America. During the debate, Trump criticized Harris for supporting what he described as “radical” policies, including government-led healthcare and environmental regulations. Post-debate ads from Trump will take those criticisms a step further, warning voters that Harris represents the extreme left, which could potentially alienate moderate voters. These ads may focus heavily on districts where concerns about taxes and government spending are paramount.
Digital Advertising Takes Center Stage
As seen in recent election cycles, digital advertising continues to be a primary tool for reaching voters, and the aftermath of the Harris-Trump debate will see both campaigns ramping up their online ad presence. Harris's team will likely capitalize on video clips from the debate, particularly where she showcased her ability to deliver sharp critiques of Trump’s policies, especially around healthcare and the pandemic. These ads will be distributed across social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, targeted at younger, progressive voters and suburban women.
Trump’s digital ads will focus heavily on his law-and-order messaging, a key part of his debate performance. He reiterated his stance on crime and public safety, painting a stark contrast between himself and the Democrats, who he accused of being soft on crime. Expect his campaign to double down on this message, running ads on platforms like Facebook, particularly in swing states with concerns about rising crime rates.
Moreover, expect both campaigns to engage heavily with microtargeting, using data from the debate’s viewership and polling to hone in on specific groups of voters. Harris will target ads in suburban areas and among women and minority voters who could be pivotal in flipping key battleground states. Trump will focus on ads that appeal to his base—working-class white voters, rural communities, and veterans.
Conclusion: The Final Push
With the Harris-Trump debate setting the tone for the remaining weeks of the campaign, political advertising will reflect the sharp contrasts drawn between the two candidates. Harris’s ads will likely focus on healthcare, the pandemic, and foreign policy, emphasizing her stance as a defender of the Affordable Care Act and a critic of Trump’s handling of the pandemic. Trump, meanwhile, will continue to highlight his economic record, emphasize his law-and-order messaging, and cast Harris as too radical for mainstream America.
Both candidates will use microtargeted ads, digital platforms, and traditional media to reach the voters that matter most in the final weeks. As election day draws nearer, the battle for the hearts and minds of swing voters will intensify, and political advertising will be more crucial than ever in shaping the narrative.
