Best Democrat Media Buying Agencies (TV & Digital)
Selecting the Best Democratic Media Buying Agencies (TV & Digital) is the single most expensive decision your campaign will make this cycle, yet most managers treat it like a commodity purchase. If you simply hand over your budget to the first agency with a glossy deck, you are likely funding their overhead rather than your margin of victory. The landscape in 2025 has shifted, with platforms like TargetSmart centralizing data and heavyweights like GMMB and SKDK maintaining their dominance in broadcast. This guide cuts through the noise to help you identify partners who actually move numbers, not just impressions.
Winning the Air War: A Strategic Review of Top Democratic Media Buyers
Before you sign a retainer, understand that the ‘best’ agency is relative to your war chest and your win number. You should be evaluating partners based on three ruthlessly practical criteria: Fee Structure, Data Latency, and Integration. First, demand transparency on pricing. Many firms hide behind ‘blended rates,’ obscuring how much actually hits the screen versus how much stays in their pockets. Second, look for voter file latency. In a fast-moving cycle, using last month’s data is malpractice; you need real-time syncs with NGP VAN. Finally, integration is non-negotiable. If their buying platform does not talk seamlessly to ActBlue and your field tools, you are building silos that will cost you votes.
The Platform Players: TargetSmart and Data Integration
The landscape shifted significantly in 2025 with TargetSmart positioning itself as the central nervous system for state-level democratic media buying. If your campaign relies heavily on granular voter file matching, this is where the conversation starts. TargetSmart has moved to remove unnecessary fees and barriers, acting as a foundational layer that integrates directly with NGP VAN. The pro here is unmatched data fidelity; you are targeting actual voters, not just modeled audiences. However, the con is the potential for a ‘walled garden.’ Some strategists argue that mandated use of a single platform can stifle innovation. If you are running a state race, this integration is likely your baseline for efficiency.
The Heavyweights: GMMB, SKDK, and Buying Time
When you have a massive budget and need to dominate broadcast TV, you turn to the titans: GMMB, SKDK, and Buying Time. These are the firms that handle presidential PACs and major Senate races. They offer full-service capabilities, often keeping creative production and placement under one roof. GMMB and SKDK are legendary for high-production value and compliance vetting that keeps you out of legal trouble. Buying Time is a staple for pure, efficient placement. The downside for you? They are expensive. These agencies are built for enterprise-level campaigns, and if you are not spending seven figures, you might find yourself serviced by junior associates rather than the partners.
The Digital Specialists: DSPolitical and Authentic
TV wins credibility, but digital wins mobilization. Firms like DSPolitical and Authentic have carved out a niche by mastering the programmatic and fundraising ecosystems. DSPolitical is renowned for its sophisticated targeting, allowing you to serve ads to specific legislative districts or even individual households based on cookie matching and device IDs. Authentic shines in the fundraising loop, ensuring your ad spend creates a positive ROI via ActBlue conversions. The pricing here is often a percentage of spend, which incentivizes them to scale your budget. Be careful to monitor frequency caps; digital specialists can sometimes oversaturate an audience if left unchecked.
Sutton & Smart Media Buyers
We buy media — but more importantly, we audit every dollar and every vendor involved. At Sutton & Smart, we act as the grim reaper for wasted budget. We specialize in expert budget management and ensure that every dollar is deployed only into the most effective, data-proven strategies.
We sit on your side of the table, analyzing buy rates, checking blended fees, validating audience targeting, and ensuring your creative strategy actually aligns with the data. We help you select the right vendor mix — whether that’s GMMB for air cover or a boutique digital shop for ground game — and then we hold every partner (including ourselves) accountable down to the penny.
What sets Sutton & Smart apart is our full-stack, multi-platform strategy. We don’t run channels in isolation — we blend TV, OTT, digital, Facebook Ads, Google, SEO, Tracking, and Digital PR into a unified system that amplifies every dollar. Our advanced analytics stack gives you real attribution clarity across platforms, so you always know what’s working, what’s wasting money, and where to scale.
With Sutton & Smart, you don’t just get media buying. You get a command center that sees the entire battlefield — and optimizes every front of it.
The Verdict: Selecting the Right Partner
Your choice ultimately comes down to the specific phase of your campaign. If you are in the early awareness phase with a healthy budget, a heavyweight like SKDK provides the necessary air cover. For targeted turnout operations in tight districts, the precision of DSPolitical or the data backbone of TargetSmart is superior. Do not fall into the trap of hiring a TV agency to run your digital program as an afterthought. The best approach is often a hybrid model: a specialist for the screen in the living room and a sniper for the screen in the pocket. Ensure any contract you sign includes a clause for full data portability and transparent audit rights on ad placement. Your choice ultimately comes down to the phase of your campaign. If you’re in an early awareness stage with a strong budget, a heavyweight like SKDK can deliver the broad air cover you need. For targeted turnout operations in competitive districts, the precision of DSPolitical or the data foundation of TargetSmart is far more effective.
But this is exactly where Sutton & Smart comes in. We ensure that the right vendors are deployed at the right time — and that no one is wasting your budget. Too many campaigns hire a TV agency and let them run digital as an afterthought. That approach burns money and leaves votes on the table.
The most effective model is a hybrid: a specialist for the screen in the living room, a sniper for the screen in the pocket, and Sutton & Smart overseeing the entire operation — auditing spend, verifying targeting, managing budgets, and enforcing accountability across every vendor.
Before you sign anything, we make sure your contracts include full data portability, transparent audit rights, and itemized placement reporting so you stay in control of your own campaign.
Stop Wasting Your Media Budget
Contact Sutton & Smart today to audit your strategy.
Ready to launch a winning campaign? Let Sutton & Smart political consulting help you maximize your budget, raise a bigger war chest, and reach more voters.
Jon Sutton
An expert in management, strategy, and field organizing, Jon has been a frequent commentator in national publications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
For smaller budgets, look at digital-first shops like Authentic or Foundation Blue Media, or leverage self-serve tools via DSPolitical, as big firms like GMMB often have high minimums.
Fees vary, but standard industry practice is a commission on media spend (often 10-15%) or a retainer plus percentage model, though some newer platforms are moving toward flat tech fees.
It ensures your ad targeting is based on live voter data, meaning you stop spending money on people who have already voted or moved.
Disclaimer & Operational Disclosure: This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or tax advice. Political campaign laws, FEC regulations, and platform policies (Meta, Google, etc.) are subject to frequent change; always consult with your campaign’s General Counsel or Compliance Treasurer before making financial or legal decisions. Vendor Affiliation: Sutton & Smart is an independent political consulting firm. Unless explicitly stated, we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any third-party platforms mentioned in this content, including but not limited to NGP VAN, ActBlue, WinRed, Meta (Facebook/Instagram), Google, Hyros, or Vibe.co . All trademarks and brand names belong to their respective owners and are used here for descriptive and educational purposes only.
https://www.axios.com/2025/06/03/democrats-media-buying-platform-state-elections
https://oaaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/20.06.30-Political-Media-Agencies-and-Organizations.pdf
https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/2/d/346631.pdf
