Vivek Ramaswamy shifts campaign strategy

The campaign team for GOP presidential hopeful

Vivek Ramaswamy

has recently announced the cessation of their TV advertising expenditure as the

Iowa

caucuses and

New Hampshire

primary draw near.
In the US, traditional broadcast TV ads are a major part of political campaign spending and are considered crucial for success. Ramaswamy's decision to halt TV ad spending is notable, especially given its timing just weeks before the first significant indicators of the presidential race's status in Iowa and New Hampshire, where a multitude of candidates are still vying for attention.
According to NBC News, the Ramaswamy campaign has not only stopped purchasing TV ads but also has no future bookings for such ads.

Despite pulling back from TV ads, Ramaswamy's campaign will continue to invest in other advertising methods.

Tricia McLaughlin

, Ramaswamy's spokesperson, explained to Axios that this shift in strategy is based on "following the data." The campaign aims to mobilize identified voters through targeted advertising, direct mail, text messages, phone calls, and door-to-door outreach, focusing on conveying Ramaswamy's vision for America and encouraging voter turnout.

McLaughlin acknowledged the uniqueness of their approach, emphasizing the campaign's intention to be "nimble and hyper-targeted" in its advertising expenditures.
The political advertising market in the US is expected to reach about $16 billion in 2024. Ramaswamy's campaign had previously launched a significant ad campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire, with

Politico

reporting planned expenditures of up to $12 million across these states. However, NBC News reported that the campaign has since spent only $2.2 million on TV, digital, and radio ads.

Comparatively, in one week of December, Ramaswamy's campaign spent $6,000 on TV ads, significantly less than other GOP candidates like Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, and Chris Christie.
Poll position
As per the latest polling data, Ramaswamy is trailing in the GOP presidential primary, with only 3.5% support nationally, according to FiveThirtyEight.com. His standings are slightly better in Iowa and New Hampshire but still lag behind the frontrunners.
The Iowa caucuses are scheduled for January 15, followed by the New Hampshire primary on January 23.
McLaughlin reiterated to NBC News the campaign's strategic choice for a more targeted approach in ad spending, moving away from the traditional heavy reliance on TV ads. This decision comes after a substantial initial investment in TV advertising in November, as reported by Politico.
The PAC supporting Ramaswamy, American Exceptionalism, has also not invested in ads across any platform since October, as per NBC News.
(With inputs from agencies)