Vivek Ramaswamy’s eight-figure ad campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire to boost support. An in-depth look at his political strategy
Indian American GOP Vivek Ramaswamy is set to launch a massive eight-figure advertising campaign in the US states of Iowa and New Hampshire ahead of the third Republican primary debate next week. 38-year-old Ohio-based biotech mogul will focus on early-voting states as part of an effort to bolster support for his candidacy.
Ramaswamy’s campaign defended the timing of the ad buy, asserting that initiating major ad expenditures earlier would not have been strategically sound, despite his national polling numbers averaging at 4.6%, The New York Post reported. The campaign plans to kickstart its advertising efforts, covering broadcast, cable, radio, digital, and direct mail, commencing on Saturday.
Tricia McLaughlin, the spokesperson for the youngest Republican candidate, hinted at a more aggressive approach for the November 8 Republican National Committee debate in Miami, indicating that this initial ad buy is just the beginning of their campaign strategy.
Ramaswamy’s campaign earlier allocated fewer funds for advertising compared to the total expenditures of other candidates and political action committees. Candidates such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum have each spent at least double on advertising compared to Ramaswamy, according to AdImpact data.
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NATIONAL POLLING AVERAGE
This increase in advertsiment comes as Ramaswamy reached a peak national polling average of 8.1% on September 21, according to RealClearPolitics. However, his polling numbers have since been on a declining trend, placing him in fourth position, with Donald Trump at 59.3%, Ron DeSantis at 13.4%, and Nikki Haley at 8.3%. In the early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, Ramaswamy is currently in fifth place, lagging behind South Carolina Senator Tim Scott and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
The campaign intends to convey its message through an ad featuring Ramaswamy, emphasising his position on gender, racism, border security, parental control over education, the importance of the nuclear family, the benefits of capitalism, and the importance of the US Constitution. Notably, in the race for the ticket to the White House, there has been a series of attack advertisements exchanged between DeSantis and Nikki Haley, each slamming the other’s records and policy stances.
