Advertising
YouTube’s Right-Wing Stars Fuel Boom in Politically Charged Ads
Bloomberg
“Three in 10 advertisers relied on ideological appeals — emphasizing “pro-life,” Christian, pro-gun, 'America first,' or pro-military themes, or attacking Democrats, gender identity or policies they described as liberal.”
Campaigns
How Fandom Culture Is Rewriting the Rules of Modern Campaigning
Campaign Trend
“What makes this moment different is the bottom-up nature of the content. Instead of campaigns trying to force viral moments, supporters are building their own narratives and aesthetics around the candidates they love.”
How Democrats are building their own digital media army
Washington Post
“Are Democrats on par with Republicans in the digital media space? Not yet. The gap remains wide, according to audience numbers and interviews with creators and strategists.”
Fundraising
Trump never stopped selling merch after the election. Here's why.
Yello
“Trump’s nearly $2 billion haul in the year since the election is more than the $1.2 billion his campaign and the Republican National Committee, or RNC, raised during the entirety of Trump’s two-year 2024 campaign beginning in November 2022.”
International
America’s Polarization Has Become the World's Side Hustle
404 Media
“Americans are being targeted because advertisers pay higher ad rates to reach American internet users, who are among the wealthiest in the world. In turn, social media companies pay more money if the people engaging with the content are American. This has created a system where it makes financial sense for people from the entire world to specifically target Americans with highly engaging, divisive content. It pays more.”
Social Media
Elon Musk’s Worthless, Poisoned Hall of Mirrors
The Atlantic
“@MAGANationX, an account with almost 400,000 followers and whose bio says it is a “Patriot Voice for We The People,” is based in “Eastern Europe (Non-EU),” according to the feature, and has changed its username five times since the account was made, last year.”
Technology
Progressive CRM Guide by Higher Ground Institute
Higher Ground Labs
“What we need now is shared understanding: common taxonomy, consistent evaluation criteria, and aligned investments for long-term impact.”