WP, pg1: Campaigns Buy More Ads, Target Fewer Sts (Judge Judy v Cops)

[DeepModem Mom]

Campaigns Buying More Ads but Targeting Fewer States

By Paul Farhi
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 25, 2004; Page A01

If John F. Kerry's ad-buying strategy could be crystallized in a single phrase, it would be "Judge Judy." In President Bush's case, it's "Cops."
Backed by record-breaking expenditures for TV advertising, the presidential campaigns this fall are pursuing intricate strategies to target would-be supporters via the programs they watch. While much attention has focused on creating the right advertising message, the medium is important, too. As a result, both campaigns, and their allied groups, have been tweaking the lists of programs they sponsor in order to put their ads before select groups of voters.

For example, "Judge Judy" -- a nonfiction program featuring a strong-willed judge who tries simulated cases -- is a daytime show that appeals to a group of viewers Kerry's campaign is counting on: middle-aged women, both single and stay-at-home moms. To appeal to this group, Kerry has also run thousands of ads on such daytime staples as "Oprah," "Dr. Phil" and "Live with Regis and Kelly."

At the same time, Bush is attempting to shore up his base of support among younger and middle-aged white men. Thus, viewers in several states are likely to see ads for the president on such testosterone-fueled shows as "America's Most Wanted" and "Cops," on the Golf Channel, and during NASCAR races.

The rest of the time, the two campaigns' program-buying strategies overlap. From dawn to dusk, they battle it out during commercial breaks in "informational" programs such as "The Today Show," "Good Morning America" and the 6 p.m. local news, according to independent analyses of campaign ad-buying patterns. The other common ground is "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune," two widely syndicated programs that appeal to older viewers, who tend to vote in higher numbers than other demographic groups....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48667-2004Sep24.html