Vivek Ramaswamy, the wealthy entrepreneur seeking the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, has stopped spending money on cable television ads, a campaign representative said on Tuesday.
With just weeks to go until the Iowa caucuses kick off the voting for the nomination, Mr. Ramaswamy’s campaign is maintaining its total advertising outlays, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the campaign, said. However, it is shifting away from traditional television toward other methods of voter outreach for a “higher return on investment,” she added. NBC News first reported the campaign’s halt in TV ad spending.
“We’re just following the data,” Ms. McLaughlin said in a statement, adding that “we are focused on bringing out the voters we’ve identified — best way to reach them is using addressable advertising, mail, text, live calls and doors to communicate with our voters.”
She pointed out the huge sums that have already been sunk into the presidential campaign, saying that “$190 million in traditional advertising has been spent in this race nationally. Polls have barely changed.”
It is nevertheless an abrupt shift in strategy for Mr. Ramaswamy’s campaign, which has spent millions on advertising. The Ramaswamy campaign reserved about $1 million in television ads in Iowa last month — nearly double what his campaign and an allied super PAC spent in the prior month.
But Mr. Ramaswamy has struggled to make headway in Iowa, despite the intense spending and a packed schedule of campaign appearances. He estimated to reporters last month that he had spent around $20 million on his run to that point.
He maintains a distant fourth place in state polls, with less than 10 percent support. His approval ratings among Republicans nationally have also steadily declined since September, and his disapproval ratings among all Americans hit a new peak in national polls.
He has recently pushed right-wing conspiracy theories in campaign appearances. He has called the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol an “inside job,” claimed that the 2020 election was stolen by “big tech” and suggested that the “great replacement theory” was Democratic policy.
Ms. McLaughlin noted that the Ramaswamy campaign would continue to field some ads through digital television providers — for example, YouTube TV.
Vivek Ramaswamy, the wealthy entrepreneur seeking the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, has decided to stop spending money on cable television ads, according to a campaign representative on Tuesday.
As the Iowa caucuses, which mark the beginning of the voting for the nomination, approach in a few weeks, Ramaswamy’s campaign will maintain its advertising budget, but will shift its focus away from traditional television towards other voter outreach methods to achieve a “higher return on investment,” stated Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the campaign. NBC News first reported the campaign’s decision to halt TV ad spending.
“We’re simply following the data,” said McLaughlin, highlighting that “we are committed to reaching the voters we have identified, and the best way to do so is through addressable advertising, mail, text, live calls, and door-to-door communication.”
McLaughlin also pointed out the significant amount of money already spent on traditional advertising in the presidential race, stating that “$190 million has been spent nationally. However, the polls have barely changed.”
Nevertheless, this marks an abrupt shift in strategy for Ramaswamy’s campaign, which has invested millions in advertising. Last month, the campaign reserved approximately $1 million for television ads in Iowa, nearly double the amount spent by his campaign and an allied super PAC the previous month.
Despite the extensive spending and a busy schedule of campaign appearances, Ramaswamy has struggled to gain traction in Iowa. He estimated last month that he had already spent around $20 million on his campaign.
In state polls, he remains in a distant fourth place with less than 10 percent support. Additionally, his approval ratings among Republicans nationwide have steadily declined since September, while his disapproval ratings among all Americans have reached a new peak in national polls.
Recently, he has been promoting right-wing conspiracy theories during campaign events, such as calling the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol an “inside job,” alleging that the 2020 election was stolen by “big tech,” and suggesting that the “great replacement theory” is a Democratic policy.
McLaughlin mentioned that the Ramaswamy campaign will continue to run some ads through digital television providers, such as YouTube TV.