Latest news with #TargetSmart
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tara Media, TargetSmart Announce Adnan Mohamed as Senior Director of Political Sales
Adnan Brings Extensive Campaign, Political Strategy Experience to TargetSmart's Sales Team WASHINGTON, June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Tara Media, a full-service digital marketing agency that delivers data-driven campaigns across today's most impactful channels, and TargetSmart, the leading provider of political data for campaigns and advocacy organizations, announced Adnan Mohamed as the new Senior Director of Political Sales. Adnan is a seasoned political strategist, bringing over a decade of experience leading high-level campaigns with him. He served in senior roles during the 2020 presidential cycle, including National Political Director for Beto O'Rourke, Deputy National Political Director for Seth Moulton, Voter Activation Director for Joe Biden's coordinated campaign in Virginia and numerous other campaigns. Most recently, he led national political ad sales at Cox Media, specializing in voter targeting and media optimization. "We are thrilled to have Adnan join our team, working hand in hand with our new CEO Liz Walters" said Tom Bonier, CEO of The Tara Group and TargetSmart Senior Advisor. "Adnan's extensive experience across campaigns, party leadership, and Capitol Hill and his understanding of the political landscape uniquely positions him to spearhead our efforts to enhance Democratic communications as we continue to innovate and expand our offerings." In his new role, Adnan will work collaboratively across Tara Media and TargetSmart to leverage the full breadth of Tara Group's expertise and resources — including the TargetSmart Media Buying Platform — to expand our data offerings and strengthen our communications infrastructure for Democratic campaigns and progressive organizations nationwide. Adnan will also oversee Tara Media's political advertising portfolio, guiding strategy, innovation, and client partnerships as the 2026 and 2028 election cycles take shape. "Tara Media is at the forefront of a new era in political advertising," said Adnan. "What sets this firm apart is its ability to combine robust proprietary data, advanced AI models, and deep behavioral market insights—all under one roof. Having a centralized platform that can execute across all forms of digital buying, from CTV to programmatic display, gives campaigns an unmatched advantage. Tara Media is uniquely positioned to redefine how political messages are delivered and how voters are engaged in this evolving media ecosystem." View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE TargetSmart Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State Democrats set up digital ad business with an influential private company. Now a key Dem official is becoming its CEO.
A top Democratic organization strongly encouraged state campaigns to do much of their digital ad-buying business with a company that one of its members is set to soon join as CEO — a development that has puzzled and concerned some party insiders. At a meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas last week, the Association of State Democratic Committees — an umbrella group for state parties — voted to recommend state races use one liberal firm, TargetSmart, for a major portion of digital ad buys, which could be worth millions. TargetSmart announced on May 7 that Liz Walters, outgoing chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, is taking over as CEO this summer. Walters, who made her departure public in a post on X, said she would leave the state party role by June 30. And until the week before the group's meeting, she was part of the ASDC's leadership team as treasurer. Walters recused herself from the TargetSmart vote. But she has reportedly praised the use of TargetSmart repeatedly in recent years, went to the meeting where the resolution passed, and continues to sit on a key board of state party leaders tied to the deal. Word of the deal spread through Democratic circles this week, leaving some in the party worried about the possibility of a conflict of interest — or the perception of one — at a time when Democrats are already struggling mightily. Others are concerned that using a sole media-buying platform for many digital ads will stifle innovation and raise costs for campaigns. 'I just don't understand this at all. It's the ultimate solution in search of a problem,' said Rob Flaherty, the former deputy campaign manager for Kamala Harris' 2024 presidential campaign. 'No one who works directly in this space is asking for this, nor should we want it. Even the stated rationale makes no sense: This is a space where competition leads to better pricing. A strategic monopoly doesn't serve us.' A Democratic campaign veteran who, like others in this story was granted anonymity to speak freely, said the deal is 'a conflict of interest you could see from space.' A Democratic state party chair said 'the perception sucks, the perception is terrible.' Walters responded in a statement that the decision to leave the Ohio Democratic Party, 'an organization I love,' was 'a hard one.' She added that 'in the interest of transparency, as soon as I decided to join TargetSmart, we made the news public and I recused myself from all matters involving the company.' Axios first wrote about the existence of a deal between the ASDC and TargetSmart, but concerns about a conflict of interest have not been reported before. ASDC president Jane Kleeb said in an interview that it was her suggestion, not Walters', to give TargetSmart the special status. Kleeb defended the decision as a way for state parties to save money and solve other problems, such as navigating a bewildering web of new digital firms. She said that Walters has praised TargetSmart internally over the years but added that 'lots of us' have also spoken highly of the company since they've worked closely with them. 'There is no conflict of interest. We have been talking about this for years,' she said. 'I knew that the vendors would have their guns and knives out for me because they will perceive it as taking business away from them. But it doesn't.' She added, 'I am trying to innovate and create reliable streams of revenue' for state parties and 'with this system, there will be a 5 percent return to state parties, which is a really wonderful thing.' Other Democrats in favor of the resolution said that the setup would also help ensure the digital safety of voter files. A second Democratic state party chair granted anonymity to speak candidly about the deal said that Walters praised TargetSmart at multiple ASDC meetings in recent months, including in Little Rock last week. 'Every single meeting she would talk about the benefit of the tool and why it's really important, and anytime people would raise questions, basically, she was answering them as CEO of TargetSmart, but that wasn't the role she was in,' said the person, who was in the meetings. 'It's an unfortunate way to enter into a relationship, because I think it could be a good tool, but now it's clouded,' the person added. TargetSmart has worked with the Democratic state parties for years to house their voter files, a precious resource used by campaigns. The ASDC said that it asked TargetSmart to develop its digital ad-buying tool in 2023, and that later it was rolled out to some trial participants, including in Ohio. State parties generate revenue when their voter file is bought and sold, as well as when their voter file data is used on TargetSmart's ad-buying platform. The ASDC's nonbinding resolution states that members are encouraged to either 'institute a requirement' for voter file users to utilize TargetSmart for digital ad-buying or 'strongly encourage' users to 'explore utilizing' the platform. A TargetSmart spokesperson said the buying platform is more cost efficient, reliable and enables transparency in ad placements. And TargetSmart senior adviser Tom Bonier said in a statement that 'we're proud to have the opportunity to continue to serve state parties as they provide this cutting-edge resource to their members.' He didn't respond to a question about when TargetSmart began discussions with Walters about the job. A person close to Walters said that she 'resigned as treasurer well before the meeting, recused herself from the process entirely and it passed unanimously.' But that has done little to tamp down criticism of Walters among some Democrats. 'Even being there is a way to exert influence, especially when it was already announced that she was going to TargetSmart,' said the Democratic campaign veteran. Walters submitted her resignation as treasurer of the ASDC on May 20, the person close to her said. The ASDC passed the resolution unanimously on May 29. Walters is also on the board of a linked 'co-op' made up of state party officials that manages its voter file data. She is expected to leave that entity and as head of the Ohio Democratic Party next week.
Politico
05-06-2025
- Business
- Politico
State Democrats set up digital ad business with an influential private company. Now a key Dem official is becoming its CEO.
A top Democratic organization strongly encouraged state campaigns to do much of their digital ad-buying business with a company that one of its members is set to soon join as CEO — a development that has puzzled and concerned some party insiders. At a meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas last week, the Association of State Democratic Committees — an umbrella group for state parties — voted to recommend state races use one liberal firm, TargetSmart, for a major portion of digital ad buys, which could be worth millions. TargetSmart announced on May 7 that Liz Walters, outgoing chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, is taking over as CEO this summer. Walters, who made her departure public in a post on X, said she would leave the state party role by June 30. And until the week before the group's meeting, she was part of the ASDC's leadership team as treasurer. Walters recused herself from the TargetSmart vote. But she has reportedly praised the use of TargetSmart repeatedly in recent years, went to the meeting where the resolution passed, and continues to sit on a key board of state party leaders tied to the deal. Word of the deal spread through Democratic circles this week, leaving some in the party worried about the possibility of a conflict of interest — or the perception of one — at a time when Democrats are already struggling mightily. Others are concerned that using a sole media-buying platform for many digital ads will stifle innovation and raise costs for campaigns. 'I just don't understand this at all. It's the ultimate solution in search of a problem,' said Rob Flaherty, the former deputy campaign manager for Kamala Harris' 2024 presidential campaign. 'No one who works directly in this space is asking for this, nor should we want it. Even the stated rationale makes no sense: This is a space where competition leads to better pricing. A strategic monopoly doesn't serve us.' A Democratic campaign veteran who, like others in this story was granted anonymity to speak freely, said the deal is 'a conflict of interest you could see from space.' A Democratic state party chair said 'the perception sucks, the perception is terrible.' Walters responded in a statement that the decision to leave the Ohio Democratic Party, 'an organization I love,' was 'a hard one.' She added that 'in the interest of transparency, as soon as I decided to join TargetSmart, we made the news public and I recused myself from all matters involving the company.' Axios first wrote about the existence of a deal between the ASDC and TargetSmart, but concerns about a conflict of interest have not been reported before. ASDC president Jane Kleeb said in an interview that it was her suggestion, not Walters', to give TargetSmart the special status. Kleeb defended the decision as a way for state parties to save money and solve other problems, such as navigating a bewildering web of new digital firms. She said that Walters has praised TargetSmart internally over the years but added that 'lots of us' have also spoken highly of the company since they've worked closely with them. 'There is no conflict of interest. We have been talking about this for years,' she said. 'I knew that the vendors would have their guns and knives out for me because they will perceive it as taking business away from them. But it doesn't.' She added, 'I am trying to innovate and create reliable streams of revenue' for state parties and 'with this system, there will be a 5 percent return to state parties, which is a really wonderful thing.' Other Democrats in favor of the resolution said that the setup would also help ensure the digital safety of voter files. A second Democratic state party chair granted anonymity to speak candidly about the deal said that Walters praised TargetSmart at multiple ASDC meetings in recent months, including in Little Rock last week. 'Every single meeting she would talk about the benefit of the tool and why it's really important, and anytime people would raise questions, basically, she was answering them as CEO of TargetSmart, but that wasn't the role she was in,' said the person, who was in the meetings. 'It's an unfortunate way to enter into a relationship, because I think it could be a good tool, but now it's clouded,' the person added. TargetSmart has worked with the Democratic state parties for years to house their voter files, a precious resource used by campaigns. The ASDC said that it asked TargetSmart to develop its digital ad-buying tool in 2023, and that later it was rolled out to some trial participants, including in Ohio. State parties generate revenue when their voter file is bought and sold, as well as when their voter file data is used on TargetSmart's ad-buying platform. The ASDC's nonbinding resolution states that members are encouraged to either 'institute a requirement' for voter file users to utilize TargetSmart for digital ad-buying or 'strongly encourage' users to 'explore utilizing' the platform. A TargetSmart spokesperson said the buying platform is more cost efficient, reliable and enables transparency in ad placements. And TargetSmart senior adviser Tom Bonier said in a statement that 'we're proud to have the opportunity to continue to serve state parties as they provide this cutting-edge resource to their members.' He didn't respond to a question about when TargetSmart began discussions with Walters about the job. A person close to Walters said that she 'resigned as treasurer well before the meeting, recused herself from the process entirely and it passed unanimously.' But that has done little to tamp down criticism of Walters among some Democrats. 'Even being there is a way to exert influence, especially when it was already announced that she was going to TargetSmart,' said the Democratic campaign veteran. Walters submitted her resignation as treasurer of the ASDC on May 20, the person close to her said. The ASDC passed the resolution unanimously on May 29. Walters is also on the board of a linked 'co-op' made up of state party officials that manages its voter file data. She is expected to leave that entity and as head of the Ohio Democratic Party next week.
Axios
03-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Scoop: Democrats select single media buying platform for all state races
The group responsible for overseeing Democratic Party state efforts is strongly encouraging all its state campaigns to use a single digital ad tech platform called TargetSmart. Why it matters: The move aims to help Democrats streamline their ad buys and save money, but some critics say the one-vendor mandate is anticompetitive and limits innovation. "It's questionable when a party organization endorses a specific media platform without evaluating the leading technology providers in the space," said Grace Briscoe, EVP of client development at Basis, a large ad tech firm that manages campaigns across the political spectrum. "In the high-stakes world of government and politics, it's imperative to pressure test the technology. I believe political marketers will continue to conduct their own due diligence to find the best tools for their needs." Zoom in: After a meeting last week in Little Rock, Arkansas, the Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC) passed a resolution to allow TargetSmart to become what it says is "the first and only Media Buying Platform built for the Democratic Party," according to a copy of the resolution obtained by Axios. TargetSmart has been one of the leading voter data sources for Democratic political parties and progressive organizations since it launched in 2006. The company provides services to the Democratic National Committee to enhance their voter file. TargetSmart also operates a demand-side platform (DSP) that allows its to buy and place digital ads on behalf of customers in a programmatic, or automated, fashion. Its ad-buying platform sits on top of its proprietary voter file. The firm is still privately owned by its cofounders, Drew Brighton and Jeff Ferguson. Between the lines: The ASDC argues that campaigns should use TargetSmart's tech for its digital ad buys because it's more transparent and efficient. TargetSmart, which it refers to as the "Democratic Party Media Buying Platform," has voter file data that is "sourced by Members of the Association," the resolution reads. It "supports significant data royalty payments to the Voter File Coop and its Members." ASDC President Jane Kleeb told Axios that the party "built the 'Democratic Media Buying Platform' from the ground up to put State Parties, candidates, and campaigns in control of how their ad dollars are spent." She argues the platform is "the most efficient way for campaigns to spend their hard-earned dollars, using the best data to contact voters and empowering candidates with the tools they need to win." How it works: The resolution, which was unanimously endorsed by all state parties within the ASDC, encourages member to institute a requirement that all state campaigns use the "'Democratic Party Media Buying Platform' through a digital agency that utilizes the platform." It asks that campaigns "limit any and all exports of State Party Voter File data for digital onboarding purposes to only be accessed via secure API connection to the Democratic Party Media Buying Platform." What they're saying:"For two decades our team has provided Democratic candidates with the right tools to reach the voters they need to win," said Tom Bonier, senior adviser to TargetSmart and formerly its CEO. "For that reason, we were excited to have been chosen to build the Democratic Party Media Buying Platform, facilitating targeted communication with the voters Democrats will need to regain majorities and the White House." The other side: The move is being met with skepticism by some within the party and the ad tech community, who argue selecting one platform weakens the party's ability to stay competitive against the GOP. ASDC argues TargetSmart "removes fees and unnecessary barriers while leveraging the most up-to-date voter file data available." But campaign advertising executives Axios spoke with say there are smarter ways to manage expensive vendors, like creating a panel of approved firms that campaigns can choose from. "You don't see the Republicans mandating one janky tech for their campaigns — they want to leverage the best of the tech industry," one political ad tech veteran told Axios. The big picture: The Democrats have a history of selecting one vendor to streamline tech initiatives for down-ballot races — but with an industry as large as advertising, giving one vendor control is notable. For years the party has relied nearly exclusively on NGP VAN, a privately-owned campaign software tool, for field and digital organizing. Both the Democrats and Republicans rely primarily on a single small-dollar donation platform for the bulk of their elections. Democrats use ActBlue, and Republicans use WinRed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GOP outperformed Dems on voter registration in key battleground states, new analysis reveals
FIRST ON FOX: Republicans outperformed Democrats on voter registration in four key battleground states between the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, according to research by the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC). The bipartisan political consultant non-profit teamed up with analysts from Data Trust, a conservative organization, and Target Smart, which has aligned with Democrats in past election cycles. Compiling data from the 2020 and 2024 elections in Arizona, North Carolina, Nevada and Pennsylvania, the research suggests a national shift in voter registration toward the Republican Party. "We wanted a bipartisan analysis because there are so many conventional wisdoms this election challenged," Larry Huynh of Trilogy Interactive and Democrat AAPC Board President said. "The data was pretty clear that the Democrats were caught off guard with voter registration and turnout efforts and failed to mount a sufficiently compelling counter-effort to compete. We should all learn from this and take a deeper dive into our voter registration and turnout operations." AAPC unveiled the research this week during the 2025 Pollie Awards, a political communications awards program, in Colorado Springs, Colo. Fox News Voter Analysis: How Trump Regained The White House "The Trump campaign and the Republican Party deserve considerable recognition for their voter registration success and turnout efforts and the party should try to build on these successes," Kyle Roberts of AdImpact and the incoming Republican AAPC Board President told Fox News Digital. Read On The Fox News App Biden Aide Intimidated Reporter Investigating Former President's Mental Decline With 'Tacit Threat:' Book From 2020 to 2024, the bipartisan political analysis found the share of registered Democrat voters dropped in all four battleground states. Meanwhile, the share of registered unaffiliated and Republican voters increased in Arizona, North Carolina, Nevada and Pennsylvania, according to the data compiled by Data Trust and Target Smart. In three out of four of the states analyzed, unaffiliated voters accounted for the largest electoral increase. Democrats saw the largest electoral drop between 2020 and 2024 across the four battleground states, following the same trend as voter registration. Voter turnout across party lines dropped in three out of the four battleground states analyzed, the data revealed. And while Democrat turnout dropped more than Republican turnout in those three states, the difference was less than a percentage point in every state but Arizona. Data Trust and Target Smart also analyzed trends across demographic groups, including Black, Hispanic and rural voters. The overall increase in Republican registration, turnout and electoral growth was consistent across the demographic groups analyzed. President Donald Trump won all seven battleground states in 2024 – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Republicans maintained control of the House of Representatives and won back the Senate. 70% of voters believed the country was on the wrong track and wanted change in the 2024 presidential election, according to Fox News Voter Analysis. The economy and immigration were top issues as Trump tied inflation to President Joe Biden's administration and vowed to secure the border on his first day in office. As AAPC seeks to analyze Republicans' inroads with swing state voters in 2024, Democrats are facing their own reckoning this week as a new book reveals the alleged "cover-up" of Biden's cognitive decline. CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson's book, "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," released on Tuesday, paints an unflattering picture of Democrats' losses in 2024. While political commentators focus on what Democrats did wrong in 2024, AAPC's new data reveals what Republicans did right on voter registration and turnout. The Republican National Committee (RNC) opened "Black Americans for Trump" and "Latino Americans for Trump" offices across the battleground states in 2024, seeking to expand their reach among traditionally Democrat voting blocs. Over 160,000 volunteers joined the RNC's "Protect the Vote" efforts on election integrity in 2024, which included more than 100 lawsuits and recruiting poll watchers across the country. Seizing on Republicans' election distrust following Trump's loss in 2020, the RNC built a coalition of supporters across the country that propelled voters to the polls and landed Trump a win in article source: GOP outperformed Dems on voter registration in key battleground states, new analysis reveals
