Today, a recent Supreme Court ruling (HERE) paved the way to lift the ban on Corporations making independent campaign expenditures for political advertising in books, films and other media. Regardless of how you stand on the issue, for us in the mobile world, this can provide an additional opportunity to [...]]]>

Mr. Franklin Goes to Washington

Today, a recent Supreme Court ruling (HERE) paved the way to lift the ban on Corporations making independent campaign expenditures for political advertising in books, films and other media. Regardless of how you stand on the issue, for us in the mobile world, this can provide an additional opportunity to create great gains and showcase the value of mobile.

A recent AdWeek article (HERE) suggested that political advertising will hit $3.3 billion in 2010, an 11 percent increase over 2008. Broadcast TV will reap the lion’s share at $2.2 billion (or 67 percent of the total), with $2 billion going to local TV, $150 million to cable and $50 million to network TV. Direct mail will get $650 million (or 20 percent of the ad spend), followed by radio at $250 million (or 8 percent) and newspaper at $95 million (or 3 percent). Outdoor and the Internet are forecast to reach $55 million and $50 million, respectively.

Now, while it may seem paltry, mobile (SMS, WAP and APP) can be used to bridge all of those expenditures together and will probably account for a portion of the estimated $55 million in internet advertising. While it is amazing that a venue like direct mail will get $650 million in an era where “green is king”, mobile is slowing showing that it is more than just a tool for selecting the best American Idol, it can be a tool for getting the message out while reducing waste.