Creators weigh content decisions and costs of election-driven marketing blackout

“Right now, we’re just kind of, wait and see what’s going on,” Luca told Digiday. “We live in a real-time brand world … which means we have to be able to be nimble enough to react or contract depending on what is going on in the world.”

For instance, as more Americans turn to social media for political updates, there could be missed opportunities if creators and brands go completely dark around elections. Per Sprout Social surveys, 75% of U.S. consumers overall say social media has become their primary source for 2024 presidential election news. Two-thirds say social media has shaped their opinions of the election — and those stats are even higher for Gen Z (77%) and millennials (78%).

So, we decided to break down how the creator space is preparing for the crucial election week and its aftermath.

How long are creators and brands going dark?

Not every creator and brand plans to pause their marketing content during the election — some are adjusting their campaigns or shifting their timelines instead. Social media is a space where brands can stay visible now and engage consumers when they want a “break from the election noise,” said Randy Gudiel, svp and media director at marketing agency Orci.

Roee Zelcer, CEO of creator platform Humanz U.S., is recommending brands take a “short break just before and after the election, then a swift return with content that resonates with the post-election mood.”

Stagwell business agency Gale will have influencer content paused during the week of the election, while other clients will pause only on Election Day itself. Any major influencer launches are going to “get lost” that week, said Erin Lyden, vp of public relations and influencer at Gale and co-lead of the agency’s social marketing team.

With Americans split down the middle on whether they plan to limit social media use leading up to the election (per Sprout Social), there are still ways to plug in during or after the election. Some creators plan to continue posting political content, with 37% planning to encourage followers to vote and 35% saying it is important to raise awareness on political issues, according to creator commerce platform Kajabi.

How long and whether to pause marketing around the election really comes down to the brand and type of creator, as well as how things unfold in real-time. A few Open Influence clients chose to pause influencer campaigns around the election, but most are “in a wait-and-see mode,” said Joey Chowaiki, COO and co-founder at Open Influence.

“We don’t have any campaign posts scheduled for Election Day itself, as we understand the potential for political noise to overshadow other content,” Chowaiki said. “However, we remain flexible and prepared to adjust strategies based on real-time developments, always working in close collaboration with our clients.”

The general rule of thumb for Amy Cotteleer, partner and chief experience officer of agency Duncan Channon, is: “If you have to ask if you should post, you probably shouldn’t — but that doesn’t apply as cleanly to times like these, when every day holds a pause posting-worthy event.”

Duncan Channon will continue monitoring for major events during the election period as they assess when to go dark — and when to drop some lighter content or even run a promotion when appropriate.

“If it’s an election day like any other, keep in mind that many users come to social for escapism, and having a place to unplug from the real world is a welcome respite,” Cotteleer added.

What are the cost considerations?

Some creators and brands are taking their content strategies day by day, as events unfold online and on the ground. Marketers also have to be conscious of the ad costs on major platforms. Digital agency Kepler, for example, is advising several brands to reduce spending leading up to the election, noted Zach Ricchiuti, Kepler’s associate vp of client solutions. Ricchiuti said the recommendation for most brands is to wait until after the election until political ad spending will go down and the holiday shopping season picks up in earnest.

“Real-time auction platforms like Meta and YouTube are seeing a massive influx of political ad spending, which both inflates the cost of media on those platforms [and] impacts engagement rates,” Ricchiuti said. “On top of that, social feeds through news, political commentary and political ads don’t make for the most brand additive environment.”

Sam Huston, svp of creative and media at full-service digital agency Dept, also mentioned the dark period will “end quickly” given the shorter holiday shopping season, since Thanksgiving is later this year. Dept’s performance marketing teams have been tracking election and media spending since January, and observed that, in July through September, distribution of spending was pretty even across YouTube, Meta, streaming and programmatic, Huston explained.

“However, political advertisers are now prioritizing YouTube over every other platform,” Huston said. “For context, in the second half of October, political parties spent well over $2.5 million per day on YouTube. For Meta, it’s closer to $1 million per day.”

Based on this, Huston advises that brands “go dark” on video channels that are “over-saturated with political ads.” On other channels, he added, it could just mean scaling back slightly for now — “or it could mean charging forward with cheerful and lighthearted content.”

What’s next if Harris wins? If Trump wins?

Asked about post-election plans, Monks’ Luca said those will vary based on the election’s results. For example, if Vice President Kamala Harris wins, that will be an opportunity for brands to ride “a wave of optimism,” she explained. Yet, there could also be conflict if former President Donald Trump wins, so brands need to prepare for different scenarios.

“Our strategy is really three-prong, which is … predict, protect and promote,” Luca said.

As much as they can predict the election’s outcome, agencies are looking at brand protection and safety regarding their promotions. Hypothetically, for example, a female-centric brand may go into “protection mode” if Trump wins. “You’re not going to say a whole lot,” said Luca. “You’re still going to talk about women, and you’re going to keep your brand pretty simple. If Harris wins, then you say, great, we’re in promote mode.”

There are also wider regulatory and platform implications that could impact post-election strategies for the creator and tech spaces, depending on which candidate wins. For instance, Trump favors fewer content restrictions and content moderation policies on social media — while Harris could potentially pursue a break-up of Google, which would greatly shift the ad landscape.

As eMarketer analysts Zak Stambor and Rachel Wolff noted: “Harris’ stance may lead to stronger enforcement aimed at promoting competition, benefiting open-web platforms. … Brands could face stricter content guidelines under Harris.”

There’s also the question of TikTok’s future — what will the fate of the platform’s ban be if Harris or Trump were to win? That will be addressed in another story.