TV ads in politics seem have minimal impact on voters or polls these days.
Just look at the money being poured into the current crop of US Presidential candidates in the 2016 Presidential race. Jeb Bush lags in most every poll - even after Right to Rise, the super PAC supporting Bush has spent at least $60 million on TV ads.
Donald Trump, on the other hand, tweets up a storm at no cost and it's like the shot heard 'round the world.
What gives? Turns out that voters' media consumption habits have changed and digital is where it's at. Sure, ads still matter in politics but digital distribution gives campaigns and their consultants better data and better reach.
Here's 3 digital trends that make a difference:
1. Mobile Content
In 2014 voters started using their mobile smartphones to research political candidates and share information on social media. That trend has only increased and now, in 2016, campaigns are making strides in deploying sophisticated techniques to distribute mobile contend and collect and analyze the data surrounding that content - all in real-time.
2. Digital Video
Digital video has emerged as a media preference for voters. According to a recent survey by Google, fewer voters watch live TV and more of them are looking to mobile and streaming video delivery systems.
Back in the election cycle of 2014, campaigns found themselves "data rich and content poor", meaning they had a handle on data but struggled to find content that was relevant and that resonated with the target voter. Not anymore. Video content by candidates and their surrogates is more sophisticated this time around.
3. Predictive Data
Predictive data can be used to predict any number of things, from which political party you lean towards to how you stand on a given issue and even to how persuadable you are to change your vote.
The campaigns that can harness the growing amount of social data around other voter activities - what they buy, what they watch, what they like and what they share - are miles ahead of their competitors because they can predict what's on the voter's minds and serve up relevant - and convincing - content.
The great digital transformation of 2016 is alive and well on the political front and should make for some very interesting insights going forward.
Beverly Macy is author, educator, and thought leader in social and digital business. She is the author of The Power of Real-Time Social Media Marketing and teaches at UCLA Anderson School of Management.