Think Political. Think PubMatic.
The 2024 U.S. presidential election cycle represented a significant, time-sensitive revenue opportunity — and PubMatic was positioned to capture it, but only if the right teams moved fast and in the same direction.
#ThinkPolitical was the campaign built to make that happen: a creatively-led, cross-functional initiative designed to establish PubMatic as the premium destination for political advertisers, particularly in the high-value swing states where the election — and the spend — would be won or lost.
Strategy
Swing State Focus — Where the Spend Was Going
Nearly 88% of political advertising spend concentrated in a handful of key swing states in the final weeks of the cycle — and the campaign was built around that reality. State-specific landing pages went live for eight swing states alongside a unified All Swing States page for buyers working across markets.
Auction packages were aligned to swing state audiences, with hyper-targeted voter segments and key issue topics mapped to inventory for precision targeting at the local level. CTV and online video inventory was prioritized throughout, with direct partnerships across premium streaming platforms — Paramount+, Roku, Hulu, and Amazon Fire TV giving political buyers access to premium, brand-safe environments.
A Purpose-Built Ecosystem for Political Buyers
The campaign wasn't just a landing page — it was a full infrastructure build. A robust data partner ecosystem spanning voter data, contextual intelligence, and audience targeting gave buyers the depth to reach specific voter segments with precision. AI-powered tools handled political ad classification and inventory transparency, giving buyers the confidence to spend at scale.
A dedicated Political Advertising Playbook rounded out the offering — positioning PubMatic as a knowledgeable partner, not just a platform. A dedicated political seller based in Washington, D.C. made direct inroads with political agencies, while conference sponsorships at high-credibility political advertising forums put PubMatic in the room where decisions were being made.
2026 Sizzle for Agentic AI-Powered Political Ad Buying & Decisioning at the Reed Awards in Charleston and the Pollies in Florida — both high-credibility forums for political advertising — with a focus on AI's role in the cycle.
Impact
$100M in political spend for the 2024 election cycle: The number that mattered most. PubMatic cleared $100M in political spend for the full 2024 cycle — a landmark result, and a direct outcome of moving fast with the right infrastructure in place.
A key revenue driver in a competitive year: Political advertising was a significant contributor to PubMatic's H2 2024 performance. Total 2024 revenues grew 9% year-over-year — more than double the 2023 growth rate — with CTV revenue more than doubling and reaching 20% of total revenue by Q4.
Activate ranked #1 for political inventory delivery: PubMatic's Activate platform emerged as the top-performing DSP for political inventory — validating both the product and the go-to-market approach built around it.
Infrastructure built to last beyond one cycle: The landing pages, auction packages, targeting segments, and cross-functional playbook built for 2024 didn't get shelved after Election Day. By early 2026, PubMatic was already tracking ahead of plan in political spend, with the 2026 midterms projected to surpass 2022.
