Guest speaker J. Toscano addressed University of Connecticut students at Susan V. Herbst Hall about how political media influences elections on Monday, March 10.
Paul Herrnson, a political science professor at UConn, kicked off the event by introducing Toscano. Toscano is the founder and CEO of Backstory Strategies, a political consulting firm. He has helped develop strategies and media advertisements for political candidates for over 20 years. His efforts have helped elect various members of Congress across the United States.
Toscano began by explaining the many political careers one can have during and after the campaign process. After studying political science and communications at Central Connecticut State University, he got some professional experience that led to his career in media consulting.
“I had been working at this consulting firm when I first came out of government … so I had a pretty good sense of political strategy,” Toscano said. “I also have kind of a more creative side, and being a media consultant kind of combines those things.”
Toscano then went into some of the steps required before helping with a political campaign.
First, the race must be assessed, analyzing whether the candidate can win, the political climate and voting trends in the region. Then you establish a strategy, identifying the focus demographics and issues for victory.
Toscano explained that when he entered the industry, it was standard practice to create 30 second television ads for the last six weeks of political campaigns. But the industry has changed and grown because of the many ways you can reach voters.
“Now we’re taking an idea, a concept, and figuring out how [it works] for advertising on a social platform versus streaming, because you as a viewer will engage with that differently,” Toscano said.
Toscano has found that different platforms engage better with certain audiences. The length and structure of an advertisement often changes depending on the platform used.
Next, Toscano went into the process of putting advertisements together. He said having a storyline will resonate better with viewers than scripts. Things like music and effects have a drastic impact on the tone and reception. The process of recording the advertisement is Toscano’s favorite part of the process.
“For me, I get a lot out of that because so much of what we’re doing the rest of the time is looking at strategy and numbers,” Toscano said. “When you’re out with real people and you hear how this actually does affect real lives, it gives you a feeling of satisfaction in the choice that you made in terms of creating.”
Toscano then went into some of the different types of political advertisements you may encounter. He said that positive and bio ads establish who a candidate is, their drive for running and their positioning on major issues. He said they also establish the agenda and tone for the candidate’s campaign.
He explained that value ads declare a candidate’s core beliefs they are running on. Issues ads are similar, working by identifying a problem and presenting the candidate as the solution to help the viewer.
Toscano said modeling ads serve a different purpose, giving voters permission to “do the right thing,” like voting for a candidate even though they are not from their preferred party. Negative ads are also unique by undermining opponents without directly involving the candidate you are supporting. However, Toscano said reception to these advertisements can be unfavorable and they must be thoroughly backed up with evidence, making them hard to pull off.
Toscano finished by explaining response ads. He said that generally, it is best to not respond to attacks against a candidate, but it can sometimes be helpful. If done, he said it is important to undermine the credibility of the attack without mentioning the claims directly, using it as a chance to reaffirm the candidate’s values.
Toscano showed a handful of political advertisements he worked on during the presentation as examples. His work with U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier, who was a pediatrician before getting elected with Toscano’s advertisement help, were recurring examples. He showed a bio ad that established her commitment to healthcare issues, an issues ad where she addressed gun control and a response ad where she addressed false rumors attached to her.
After Toscano’s presentation, students were given a few minutes to ask questions. A few students spoke up, asking about the value of microtargeting advertisements and Toscano’s experience in the marketing and business field.
Toscano’s talk drew an audience of a few dozen students, some of whom with an interest in political advertising. His detailed description of the industry and his own experience gave a thorough overview of political media consulting. Toscano’s work and successes can be seen on the Backstory Strategies website.