Are you a company or trade association that would like to get the ear of the President of the United States? Well look no further than ESPN.
According to Politico, media strategists are increasingly suggesting to clients who wish to get their issues seen by White House officials that they advertise on ESPN. President Barack Obama and his cabinet are known to be “rabid” ESPN watchers.
Politico sites Microsoft’s anti-Google advertising campaign, which began airing during Monday Night Football and continue on ESPN in Washington D.C., as an example. The ad spot took aim at Google’s questionable business practices right about the time federal regulators were considering bringing charges against the Internet search giant over anti-competitive practices.
“It’s certainly a tactic that’s talked about a lot,” said one media strategist with a client who wanted the White House’s ear on the climate change debate. “It was for exactly that reason.
“It’s not just targeting Obama, but doing it in a way that is both interesting and will get the attention of the audience, but not so unusual that it will put the client in a bad position.”
Though there are other benefits to advertising on ESPN, in terms of politics, it’s seen as one of the last places to reach viewers without an inherent ideology.
