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US Presidential Election Brexit Financial Times

How the FT is riding off the US election wave with one of its biggest ever brand campaigns

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By Jessica Goodfellow, Media Reporter

October 26, 2016 | 4 min read

The Financial Times’ new marketing strategy taps into specific events in the news agenda as a means to build brand awareness around high-profile moments. First implemented during Brexit, the latest campaign promotes the FT’s “trustworthy” coverage of the year’s biggest political event, the US presidential election.

FT US election campaign

FT US election campaign

The “Facts. Truths.” campaign launching today (26 October) is one of the largest integrated brand campaigns the publisher has ever executed, and includes executions across print, digital, social, display, experiential and out of home, as well as targeted broadcast and paid media strategy.

Election day is fast arriving so the FT has timed its campaign at a critical moment in the race as voters prepare to go to the polls. The campaign features a range of statistics from its coverage of US issues such as household income, immigration, trade and manufacturing, to prove to voters how the FT equips readers with useful insight and facts, to help them decide the best way to vote.

The media plays a huge role in influencing affecting and this was prominent ahead of this year’s EU vote, with many blaming the media for not properly educating the British public as to the outcomes of voting to leave the European Union. With the media firmly in the spotlight, the FT said it see these “times of uncertainty” as a growth opportunity.

“The US election is an extremely consequential event, not only in America but on the world stage,” said FT’s SVP of communications and marketing Darcy Keller, “The campaign emphasises how the FT equips readers with information and insight they can trust on a range of topics that matter to them - a particularly valuable service in times like these.”

The FT’s Brexit coverage saw subscriptions rise 600% above the average during the Fri-Sun following the referendum, paving the way for the publisher to develop a marketing strategy that takes inspiration from its journalism, to ensure both relevance and timeliness.

Much of the creative was produced in-house by the FT’s team of designers, working closely with its journalists to identify notable or surprising facts of consequence to Americans and relevant to the US presidential election conversation.

The experiential aspect of the campaign, executed by M&C Saatchi PR, launches today (26 October) in New York City, London and Washington DC and will extend over a period of weeks. It uses reverse graffiti to draw attention to issues that affect Americans as well as the rest of the world.

Keller believes the celebrity status of the presidential campaign, where the political and media worlds have collided has forced it further into the public eye than any other.

“There’s a new news event or development seemingly every day (if not hour). It’s lent a pace to this election that we haven’t seen or felt in past cycles.

“Finally, there’s a lot at stake, and I think people feel that. There is a large portion of the American population that feels left behind. That deserves considered exploration and discussion, and that’s what we are striving to offer in our coverage.”

US Presidential Election Brexit Financial Times

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