As we’ve shown through our search trends series, voters across the globe turn to Google and YouTube first to research, understand and share political views and candidates everyday. However, Google isn’t just a tool for voters. Our Politics & Elections Team has created solutions that help campaigns and candidates - up and down the ballot - organize, reach the electorate, and persuade undecided voters by connecting with them. Increasingly today, that connection with voters isn’t just happening at front doors and local coffee shops. It is happening online as voters use the Web to get involved in the issues that matter to them.

The Internet has fundamentally transformed how voters receive information on candidates and issues and has helped shift politics from a passive process to an active, participatory one. For campaigns and candidates, that means that the because of the Internet access to relevant political information no longer comes from one place--or one screen. Our recent research shows that voters - YOUR VOTERS - use an average of 14.7 sources of information to help make their candidate selection and are connected to multiple devices throughout the day (Google/Shopper Sciences, 2011).

So, whether your goal is a seat on the town council, building up support for your chosen issue, or even a race for the White House, integrated marketing efforts must engage voters across four screens: television, computers, tablets and mobile phones. Even if your goal isn’t 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but rather a seat in the State House or looking to help fix a local issue, research shows that using four screen ad campaigns are 48% more effective in driving campaign awareness and 77% more effective in driving campaign engagement.


Today, we’re launching “Four Screens to Victory” inside the Google Politics & Elections Toolkit where candidates and staff can make the web work for you. By learning how Google’s measurable solutions can win the moments that matter, campaigns can accelerate and amplify the impact of your television ads and help create a multi-platform marketing strategy that reaches voters where they spend time. With a solid strategy, a lot of hard work, and a little help from the team here at Google, we hope you and your supporters will be using your four screens - tablet, smartphone, TV and computer - to read good news on election night.

Posted by:  Charles Scrase, Google Politics & Elections Team