The Rockefeller Center for Public Policy hosted Andy Meyer for a conversation about the evolving role of money in politics.
To Alice Beth Rojas
| | 34 minutes ago
On Monday night, the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy welcomed political consultant Andy Meyer for a behind-the-scenes look at political advertising. The event “How Political Advertising Is Made and How It Can Be Improved” was moderated by Charles Whelan, Professor of Public Policy. About 40 people participated in the discussion.
AL Media partner Meyer works with forward-thinking candidates and organizations to develop campaign materials in-house, from speeches to press releases. In introducing himself, Meyer said he feels “lucky” to work with candidates and causes he cares about.According to AL Media’s website, Meyer has over 20 successful careers. In addition to leading the campaign, he also led the digital program for U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock in the 2020 Georgia Senate election.
Meyer gave a one-hour lecture on political advertising in which he shared anecdotes from his career. A question and answer session followed the lecture.
Meyer says his approach to political advertising has changed since he entered the space in the early 2000s. The first campaign he worked on was former U.S. Senator Ken Salazar’s successful campaign for a Senate seat in Colorado in 2004. During this time, Meyer worked on an “anti-study” against Pete Coors, a Republican Catholic candidate who opposed abortion. , Coors argued against executing Osama bin Laden if captured. According to Mayer, when Coors was interviewed about the ad, he said he favored putting bin Laden in a 3-by-3-foot cell rather than putting him to death. Meyer says the ad was early in his career, when he was 22. [he] I was proud. ”
According to Meyer, his current ad actively emphasizes the identification of candidates’ names. Meyer said the most effective ads are made during primary elections because candidates try to differentiate themselves from other candidates within the same party.
“Every candidate has a different path to victory,” Meyer said.
To formulate a campaign strategy, Al Media plans to hold 90-minute “bio calls” to meet candidates and learn about their lives, Meyer said.
Meyer said there has been an influx of money into politics throughout his career in the political media industry. He added that the biggest change to the political advertising landscape is the way voters consume media, citing the shift from television-centric media to his YouTube and other social platforms. . But Meyer also noted that many of his YouTube ads are also seen on TV screens.
“I still believe there is no faster way to wow people than a 30-second ad on a 60-inch TV,” says Meyer.
Regarding the change in political advertising, Meyer said many political ads have “disappeared” on alternative advertising media such as Facebook and Hulu. After the 2016 election, Mayer said companies such as Facebook and Google created departments to oversee political ads hosted on their sites.
Meyer added that he doesn’t think the amount of political advertising matters. According to Meyer, Verizon and AT&T are spending more on their own advertising than the Democrats will in the federal election.
“I was surprised when he talked about money in politics being a good thing. I think it makes sense given his profession,” said Zoe McGuirk ’25. “I didn’t expect him to openly support more money in politics, especially since he worked for democrats and left-wing candidates.”
Dara Casey ’25, a policy researcher at the Rockefeller Center, also said that the most notable part of the talk was Meyer’s thoughts on money in politics.
“I think money corrupts politics honestly. It seems like a constant race for both sides to see who can raise the most money, even if that money comes from unethical sources.” ” said Casey.
Casey also noted that she finds the long-form political ads Meyer shared particularly creative. But even the creativity may not sway the average viewer, she said.
“But at the same time, I don’t think I would have been upset if I was the one watching the ad,” Casey said. prize.”