According to a note from Moody’s Investors Service, spending on U.S. political advertising will surge to record highs in 2012 as campaign spending caps are eliminated. Corporations and unions can spend unlimited money on the 2012 presidential election and Congressional races for the first time in more than a decade, Moody’s analyst Carl Salas wrote in a note to clients. The rule change, resulting from a 1/10 decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, will likely lead to an increase in spending of 9% to 18% over 2010’s record levels, he wrote. Political spend in 2010 (a year without a presidential election) was around $2.3 billion, breaking 2008’s record of about $2 billion.
RBR-TVBR observation: So if Salas is right, expect total spend next year to be in the neighborhood of $2.51 billion to $2.71 billion. This should help almost all forms of media tremendously. The trick, of course, is to reach out to the candidates and advocacy groups as soon as possible to ensure you are on the buys. The landscape should be a bit different now, as well, because new organizations and groups will jump in with spend no longer shackled. It promises not to be the same old contact list as in past political election years.
