After taking several presidential elections off, proportionally speaking, voters under the age of 30 injected themselves into the electoral process in a big way during the 2008 primaries, and are expected to remain a larger-than-usual force going into November. They are also a highly desired advertiser demographic. And they are also harder and harder to herd into one media venue. Broadcasters, according to a recent New York Times piece, are making overt overtures to this demo, using a youthful interest level not seen since the late 60s/early 70s to lure the demo to their own political coverage, and introduce them to the appropriate advertisers.
RBR/TVBR observation: This is really a no-brainer. It goes beyond getting the right kind of content on air – a well-thought out political area on a station’s website can enhance a station’s political coverage, particularly appeal to this age group, and work on making them part of a station’s loyal audience for year to come. It may be an especially sweet deal for radio stations already tailored to the tastes of a youthful constituency.
