Fleming comments on the changing face of political ad spending

Most political advertising dollars are spent on TV despite a growing shift toward social media outlets, reports Bella Carpentier for The Greenville News. She turned to Furman University’s David Fleming for comment.

Fleming, a professor of politics and international affairs and a senior researcher with The Riley Institute, said that as more voters lean on social media for news, political action committees and campaigns are increasingly funneling monetary resources to digital ads. He cited the cost-effectiveness of digital ad spending and the ability to more finely tune where messaging lands. On the other hand, Fleming said, “While younger people might be turning more often toward social media, there’s still a large segment of the population, especially when it comes to voters who are still relying on television to get their news. That’s why I think television advertisements won’t be going away for campaigns.”

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