Online ads might not sway US voters

The US presidential election campaign is in full swing and US news and political websites are dedicating vast amounts of space to every nuance of the campaign, but the Democrats and Republicans are still unsure about the power of online political advertis

The US presidential election campaign is in full swing and US news and political websites are dedicating vast amounts of space to every nuance of the campaign, but the Democrats and Republicans are still unsure about the power of online political advertising.

The parties estimate that the number of people participating in internet traffic for the campaign represents just 10% of voters. Far better to stick with the tried and true method of television advertising, the party hacks figure.

Peter Greenberger, director of Google’s politics and issue advocacy sales team, told TV Week in the US that while the amount information available on the effect of political ads on the web is starting to grow, detailed research on effectiveness is still in its infancy.

He said there are good indications that web ads can help candidates raise money, but data is inconclusive on whether the advertising translates into votes.