When should campaign ads run, how far in advance of the election?
First, develop an overall campaign advertising budget and strategy. Generally; Plan to buy backwards from the election date …put the highest concentration of ads during the last days before the election and then spread backwards to the extent of the candidate budget. Build to a crescendo! Radio campaigns are usually weighted toward the end of campaign, whereas TV can lead further in advance of the election providing better candidate exposure (better at building the brand). But remember; unless you are running unopposed in the primary, you will need to spend enough on the primary in order to win. Holding funds in reserve for the general election won’t do you any good if you don’t get that far! First time candidates usually tend to spend more on advertising and need to get out-front earlier to build name recognition, you have to spend more if you are not an incumbent!
