Exposure to Presidential Candidate Advertising on Television, Website, and Social Media During 23 Days of the 2016 Primary

Abstract

Abstract This study examines self-reported presidential advertising exposure in young adults during a 23-day rolling cross sectional (RCS) survey fielded nationally from February 24 to March 17, 2016, during the Presidential primaries. Advertising expenditures and number of ads run in each state are highly correlated with self-reported ad awareness. Respondents were most aware of television advertising; web and social media advertising were strong seconds. Advantages of using RCS include robust identification of variables that predict advertising awareness, and identifying news events that affected advertising awareness.