Standing Out in a Crowded Political Environment

If any one issue was on Michiganders’ minds in 2022, it was abortion rights. With Prop 3, the issue was headed directly to the ballot, and statewide candidates were making headlines with outlandish comments about reproductive rights. Prop 2, meanwhile, was an incredibly dense voting policy change: The “summary” alone was eight bullets long, and our opposition was purposefully exploiting uncertainty to spread disinformation about the initiative. 

In this noisy environment, using sophisticated targeting to serve a wide variety of creative content, Trilogy drove positive attention to Prop 2, leading it to outperform statewide candidates and win on Election Day.

Curated Creative and Trusted Messengers

The creative we produced spoke directly to people’s values: Our ads to conservative voters focused on strengthening voter ID requirements, while ads to our progressive audience emphasized voting access and fairness. Polling showed that the measure’s provision to strengthen absentee voting for service members stationed abroad was especially popular, so we recorded a Zoom call with an active-duty service member who spoke firsthand about the experience of voting while deployed. We spread our message with a wide set of creative deliverables including live shoots, studio spots, digital radio ads, and native and banner ads.

We also recognized that the history of Black voter suppression meant some Black constituents would need reassurance to feel confident voting “yes.” So we invested in both high-production-value content featuring POC volunteers and engaging social media influencers who could communicate authentically about the issue. 

Trilogy contracted with influencers ranging in style from NBA giant Jalen Rose to a self-described “witchy lesbian aunt.” Working with over a dozen partners, we reached our target audience with trusted voices and authentic content. @Trellevison’s “drive through window” post, which was far outside the norm for political messaging, earned over 65,000 likes and such comments as “FINALLY AN AD WORTH NOT SKIPPING” and “decided to read up on it. it seems to make sense.”

Sophisticated Targeting and Quick Turnarounds

We knew the right messages alone weren’t enough. We also had to serve them to the right people. So we combined matched-list targeting, serving ads to a known set of voters, with broader targeting that considered individuals’ demographics and interests. To account for the declining reach of broadcast television, we deployed a three-pronged media strategy, filling the gaps in TV ads’ reach, reinforcing TV ads at a lower frequency, and targeting cord cutters.

All the while, we moved fast. When President Obama endorsed the measure at a rally just over a week before Election Day, we cut a new ad using his words and got it live the next day.

With a strategic and innovative digital campaign behind it, Prop 2 passed with 60% of the vote. Prop 2 makes it easier for Michiganders to make their voices heard in future elections — and Trilogy’s winning digital campaign serves as a model for creating meaningful change while staying above the partisan fray.