September, 2026.- Success in today’s marketing landscape will not necessarily belong to those with the largest budgets. Murry Woronoff, Agency Director of Marketing Research & Consumer Insights at Adtaxi, explains that success will stem from messaging that is practical and resonates with the American people, who are demanding affordability and economic stability. Every single purchase must now justify itself. Aspirational storytelling, lifestyle marketing, and ads that fall back on being simply “clever” are losing traction to transparent and clear messages grounded in tangible utility.
In this interview, Woronoff discusses survey findings showing that consumers do not automatically equate value with the lowest price. Instead, they are judging value by longevity and quality. When defining what value means to them, 47% of consumers point to high quality for the price, and 40% prioritize long-lasting durability. Direct discounts and promotions trail behind at 35%. Marketers who compete solely on price risk training their audience to only buy during a sale, which hurts profit margins and limits long-term customer loyalty.
On the digital media shift, Woronoff notes that social media now leads over broadcast TV and connected TV as the source for political news and advocacy. The modern voter journey has become highly digital, and engagement is increasingly driven by personalized media experiences rather than shared mass-media environments.
For brands weighing whether to engage in political or social issues, Woronoff advises CMOs to be extra careful and meticulous. Authenticity, relevance, and alignment with core customer expectations are critical. Support for brands openly expressing political and social viewpoints varies significantly across political affiliations. Overall, consumers appear more receptive to values-based social messaging than overt political positioning.
The Economy-Politics Connection: 48.6% say the economy and inflation matter most, and over 66% say their personal finances will influence their vote “a great deal” or “a fair amount.” How should political campaigns and brands adjust their messaging when voters are evaluating everything through a financial lens?
While political campaigns and consumer brands each need distinct approaches to messaging, one general guideline to keep in mind, and a conclusion that our team has drawn from our latest survey data, is that success won’t necessarily belong to those with the largest budgets. Success will stem from messaging that’s practical and that resonates with the American people, who are demanding affordability and economic stability.
For brands and their marketing teams looking to reach consumers, our survey results illuminate that every single purchase must now justify itself. Aspirational storytelling, lifestyle marketing and ads that fall back on simply being ‘clever’ are losing traction to transparent and clear messages grounded in tangible utility. Consumers need to understand how a particular product justifies the cost in their tightening household budgets.
Also, it’s important to remember that consumers do not automatically equate value with the lowest price. Instead, they’re judging value by longevity and quality; according to our survey data, when defining what value means to them, 47% of consumers point to high quality for the price, and 40% prioritize long-lasting durability. Direct discounts and promotions trail behind at 35%. Marketers who compete solely on price risk training their audience to only buy during a sale, which hurts profit margins and limits long-term customer loyalty.
With regards to political marketing, campaigns that successfully connect policies to easing everyday financial concerns may be more effective in persuading voters. Because voters are increasingly viewing political decisions through a personal financial lens, messages that acknowledge this economic stress and how it can be remedied are more likely to resonate.
Digital Media Dominates Political Influence: Social media (29%) now leads over broadcast TV (17.4%) and connected TV (13.7%) as the source for political news and advocacy. What does this shift mean for the traditional television-centric political media model that dominated campaigns just two decades ago?
Because the modern voter journey has become highly digital, precision targeting and cross-platform media strategies are essential for campaigns in 2026. Engagement is increasingly driven by personalized media experiences rather than shared mass-media environments.
Our survey also found that among Frequent Voters, Search emerged as the leading advertising response channel, followed by Mobile and Social. This suggests highly engaged voters are increasingly information-driven. They’re actively researching candidates, issues, and advocacy topics that matter to them, rather than passively consuming campaign messaging. On the other end of the spectrum, Infrequent Voters show stronger responsiveness to Mobile and Streaming TV advertising. This audience appears less likely to seek out political information independently and more likely to engage through entertainment-driven, mobile-first media consumption. Streaming TV’s presence among this group highlights the growing importance of digital video in reaching lower-propensity voters.
Economic Confidence is Weakening: Only 12.9% expect above-average economic growth over the next year, down nearly a third from last year. What’s the most significant implication of this sustained lack of confidence for marketers and political strategists?
Marketers should recognize that messaging centered around stability, financial reassurance, practical value, and economic understanding will likely resonate more effectively than aspirational or overly optimistic positioning alone. And this applies across party lines, as our survey found that large majorities of Democrats and Independents, alongside more than half of Republicans, expect the U.S. economy to decline over the next year.
Marketers and political strategists that align their messaging with consumers’ financial realities and communicate with clarity and empathy are likely to earn stronger engagement and trust.
Grocery Prices Lead Financial Concerns: Grocery prices (23.6%) now top gas/transportation (15%) and housing (12%) as the leading financial concern. How does this specific cost pressure change how consumers perceive both political messaging and brand advertising?
With regards to brand advertising, marketers should recognize how savvy today’s consumers actually are. They expect transparency and straightforward messaging that clearly explains why something is actually worth buying. To that end, marketers would benefit from emphasizing value, efficiency, and long-term savings. Brands that clearly communicate how they help consumers manage everyday costs will likely resonate more strongly in our current environment.
With regards to how consumers perceive political messaging, there is also a powerful opportunity to focus on affordability and financial relief. People are feeling the squeeze of high costs for everyday necessities and want some relief. These economic concerns cut across party lines.
Brands and Political Messaging: 42.4% say brands should remain neutral, with support for brand political stances varying sharply by party. What’s your advice to a CMO weighing whether to engage in political or social issues in the current climate?
CMOs should be extra careful and meticulous when evaluating when and how to engage in political or social conversations. Authenticity, relevance, and alignment with core customer expectations are critical.
By and large, U.S. adults are not demanding that brands remain completely neutral on social or cultural issues. However, support for brands openly expressing political and social viewpoints varies significantly across political affiliations. Democrats posted the highest level of support for brands openly sharing their political and social positions, with one-third (33%) favoring corporate engagement on these issues. In contrast, fewer than one-fifth of Republicans and Independents support brands taking public stances on political and social matters. Interestingly, the findings suggest that much of the resistance toward brand activism may be driven more by political messaging than social messaging alone. Support for brands engaging exclusively on social issues closely mirrors support for brands openly addressing both political and social topics, indicating consumers may be more comfortable with values-based social engagement than overt political positioning.
Overall, consumers appear more receptive to values-based social messaging than overt political positioning, reinforcing the need for brands to carefully balance authenticity with audience expectations – for example, it helps to ask: has this messaging and positioning long been a part of your core values, or does it feel like hopping on a bandwagon? It’s important to know your audience, whether broad or niche, and understand what matters to them.
Authenticity and Economic Empathy: The report concludes that organizations emphasizing “authenticity, economic empathy, and practical value” will build trust. How does a brand demonstrate “economic empathy” without sounding opportunistic or out of touch?
It’s important to recognize consumers’ financial realities and respond with meaningful value, and go beyond simply acknowledging that times are tough.
Brands can earn consumers’ trust through actions such as transparent pricing, loyalty rewards, flexible purchasing options, and products or services that help customers maximize their budgets. The fast-food industry provides a strong example. When economic conditions soften, brands like McDonald’s often emphasize value meals and promotions, reinforcing affordability with tangible savings rather than relying on sympathetic messaging alone.
Ultimately, the focus should be on aligning words with actions. Brands build trust when they consistently deliver practical value and demonstrate a genuine understanding of consumers’ changing financial priorities.
