The Downballot How not to get ripped off when you advertise online
Sep 18, 2025
Myles Bugbee, founder of Persuasion & Pixels and a political digital advertising expert, reveals how campaigns are losing money to middlemen in the digital ad world. He shares insights on maximizing ad spend efficiency and highlights the importance of transparency in programmatic buying. Bugbee emphasizes steps campaigns can take to avoid wastage and discusses the current dynamics in Republican and Democratic strategies. The conversation also touches on the candidacy of Tejano star Bobby Pulido and other political shifts in Georgia.
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Streaming Has Become Central
- Digital advertising has shifted from a marginal channel to a central way campaigns reach voters as streaming surpasses linear TV.
- Campaigns must follow voters to streaming platforms and CTV to stay competitive.
Bugbee's Shift From TV To Digital
- Myles Bugbee started in TV firms and transitioned as digital evolved, seeing digital move from margin to central.
- He worked with Joe Trippi and tracked digital's growth across cycles into programmatic complexity.
Most Ad Dollars Vanish In The Middle
- A large share of digital ad dollars never reaches publishers because many intermediaries take fees.
- The Association of National Advertisers found only $0.41 of every ad dollar buys ad space.
