Vivek Ramaswamy’s 2024 presidential campaign appears to be altering its advertising strategy less than a month before the crucial Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15 and the subsequent New Hampshire primary on Jan. 23. According to reports from the campaign and ad-tracking firm AdImpact, the GOP entrepreneur’s team has ceased spending on television ads and currently has no TV ad reservations in place.
Recent data reveals a significant drop in TV ad expenditures by Ramaswamy’s campaign, which spent over $200,000 on TV ads during the first full week of December. In contrast, the past week saw a mere $6,000 allocated to TV ads, as reported by AdImpact.
Campaign spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin clarified the shift in strategy, stating, “We are focused on bringing out the voters we’ve identified — best way to reach them is using addressable advertising, mail, text, live calls and doors to communicate with our voters on Vivek’s vision for America, making their plan to caucus and turning them out.”
McLaughlin emphasized that this unconventional approach allows the campaign to be nimble and hyper-targeted in its ad spending, acknowledging that it differs from the typical campaign structure. Despite the apparent reduction in TV ad spending, McLaughlin asserted that the campaign is still actively investing in various advertising channels.
The adjustment comes amid contrasting advertising strategies within the GOP presidential field. While Ramaswamy’s campaign has pulled back on TV ads, rivals such as former President Donald Trump, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie continue to invest heavily in U.S. airwaves.
During the same week that Ramaswamy spent $6,000 on TV ads, Trump’s campaign led with an expenditure of $1.1 million, followed by Haley’s $1 million, DeSantis’ $270,000, and Christie’s $88,000. Additionally, super PACs supporting Ramaswamy’s competitors are actively contributing substantial funds to their respective advertising campaigns.
SFA Fund Inc., supporting Haley, spent $4.8 million on all ads last week, while Fight Right, backing DeSantis, invested $1.3 million. MAGA Inc. and Tell It Like It Is PAC, supporting Trump and Christie respectively, also contributed significant amounts.
Notably, American Exceptionalism PAC, which backs Ramaswamy, has not engaged in any ad spending since October, raising questions about the campaign’s financial and strategic decisions in the crucial weeks leading up to the primaries.
The move comes after Ramaswamy announced his decision to remove himself from Colorado’s Republican primary ballot in response to the recent ruling by the state’s Supreme Court, which declared Trump ineligible to run in the state’s GOP presidential primary due to his involvement in the events surrounding January 6.
The move to withdraw himself from the ballot is seen by many observers as an action towards a potential bid to be Trump’s running mate in 2024.
Information for this briefing was found via NBC and the sources mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
