By Kenny Day, SVP Head of Political at IQM

With the midterms around the corner, media agencies are in their fourth quarter, literally and metaphorically. Much of the cycle’s money lands in the final weeks, timelines collapse, and a single flight can make or break a career.

For adtech vendors, this isn’t the time to pitch. It’s time to show up.

• Option overload: Agencies are stuck between linear TV habits and a fragmented digital landscape. Act as an impartial consultant: solve the problem in front of them and only bring something new if it’s a real gamechanger.
• The compliance and clearance crunch: Compliance paperwork, inventory clearance and 20-day turnarounds leave no room for delay. Be reachable 24/7, and clear political campaigns in minutes, not days.
• Unfair blame. In close races, the candidate (or their campaign manager) gets credit for a win, and a loss gets blamed on strategy, execution or creative. Remember who carries that weight, like junior staffers and the creators cutting 30-second spots, and tell them their work matters.
• Too much noise. Reaching out often can feel like one more thing for media buyers to manage. Keep outreach short and useful, and accept “we’re good” as a complete answer.

Whatever side of the aisle we’re on, agency owners, committee operatives, and vendors alike are all getting through the same sleepless, high stakes stretch, because we believe in the democratic experiment.

We’re all human and doing our best, be kind to each other.