Digital advertising has changed the way campaigns reach voters, but for all the new tools and data available, too many political media buys still look like it’s 2015. That’s the challenge veteran strategist Billy McBeath lays out in this week’s episode of the Campaign Trend Podcast. Drawing on his experience at the Senate Leadership Fund, McBeath explains why campaigns keep missing the mark on connected-TV spending and what smarter buying looks like heading into 2026.
At the heart of the problem, he says, is disjointed data. Polling, modeling, and ad reporting rarely line up, and teams often treat them as separate efforts rather than parts of one system. McBeath argues that real “data-driven” campaigning starts with designing those pieces to talk to each other—from how you model media consumption to how you measure the effects of a message in polling and digital reporting.
One example: a mid-cycle experiment with Google showed that frequency mattered more than platform or device. Fourteen YouTube impressions moved numbers like broadcast television, forcing his team to rebuild its entire media plan. The takeaway wasn’t that YouTube replaces TV, but that campaigns must constantly test, learn, and adapt—even in the middle of a cycle.
McBeath also outlines a practical framework for managing overlap across streaming platforms. Rather than avoiding duplication entirely, he says campaigns should aim for “unique reach” with controlled frequency, using centralized platforms that can de-conflict audiences across networks. Overlap isn’t bad—it becomes waste only when it’s unmanaged.
Looking ahead to 2026, McBeath sees the biggest opportunity in rethinking where digital fits within the media mix. YouTube has become a broadcast-scale platform, podcasts and digital audio are growing as incremental-reach channels, and smarter supply-path optimization is making every impression count.
The message for campaign managers: precision matters, but only when it’s paired with process. When modeling, polling, and reporting work together, you stop guessing—and stop wasting money.