The 2008 presidential election season marked the first time that candidates allocated substantial campaign resources to mobile marketing. Now in 2012, sharp growth in smartphone adoption coupled with improvements in mobile apps and mobile ad technology, it’s easier to reach and connect with voters through their phones.
According to a study by Localytics, 70% of the most active iPhone states vote Democrat while 70% of the most active Android states lean Republican. Moreover, despite the fact that there are now more Android devices in the US than iPhones, iOwners are still more active users of mobile apps, making up roughly 70% of the combined Android and iPhone app starts.
The chart below compares each state’s smartphone usage to the US average and is then color-coded each to match FiveThirtyEight’s election forecast showing projected Democrat (blue), Republican (red), and Undecided (beige) outcomes. Localytics studied US-based mobile app usage on iPhone and Android devices from May 2012 through the end of June to compute these results.
The fate of the 2012 election hangs largely in the balance of states like Ohio, Virginia, and Florida. By looking at smartphone activity in the other states, campaign marketers can more accurately target prospective swing state voters. For example, knowing that Democratic voters tend to be heavier iPhone users, Obama’s campaign could broadcast iPhone ads in swing states that encourage supporters to “get out the vote”. On the other hand, attack ads could then run on Android devices in an attempt to sway Republican voters…