Biden team looks at buying more ads amid ongoing polling concerns
The Biden campaign team is looking at ways to buy more advertising and expand its field presence as public polls suggest a tightening race against President Donald Trump. Biden’s campaign advisers have been studying their internal data and conducting polls to try to get a sense of whether there’s still time to boost the Democratic ticket’s margin in the closing weeks of the campaign. They’ve also been studying advertising on different platforms, an indication that the campaign is looking to jump-start its digital efforts and take advantage of the changing media landscape.
The campaign’s moves come as it faces small but real concern about Biden’s standing in the polls relative to Trump. A Monmouth University survey of likely voters last week showed Biden leading Trump by just one point, and the national polling average from FiveThirtyEight suggested a narrowing race in the final weeks of the campaign.
The Biden team’s focus on buying more ads could also indicate a shift in strategy away from relying solely on investment in the ground game and field offices. Digital advertising, including on social media, can often be more efficient and cost-effective than field offices, and can also allow the campaign to target ads to specific demographics.
At the same time, the Biden campaign has invested heavily in its ground game, with more than 700 field offices across the country and a complicated and expansive volunteer network. The campaign also recently announced a major digital ad buy in 17 states, a sign that the campaign was focusing on digital outreach.
Experts say that the Biden team’s effort to buy more ads is a sign of a campaign that’s not willing to take any risks in the final weeks of the election. Whether those moves will lead to a larger margin of victory or just a closer race remains to be seen.