May 6, 2015
It’s beginning. You may not see it, but trust us. It’s on the way.
We’re talking about presidential election season and the presidential campaigns that will soon descend on South Carolina.
You may or may not know that South Carolina has the distinction of being “First in the South” on the presidential primary election calendar.
While it’s a source of pride for the state, it also means we’re inundated with political ads before most of the rest of the nation. Don’t worry, though. By February 2016, there won’t be a trace of them around the state until the November election, and it will be four years before candidates physically return.
Still, having presidential campaigns operating in South Carolina is a tremendous shot in the state’s economic arm.
In research released earlier this year, the 2012 presidential election (in which TMPR played a significant role) left a roughly $51 million impact on the state.
$30 million came in the form of marketing exposure for the state — whether it was a debate site like Wofford College or Myrtle Beach or whether it was news outlets following candidates around the state.
The other $21 million came as direct dollars. According to the study, campaigns and “Super PACs” spent approximately $11 million in advertising, while the remaining $10 million came as a result of nearly 300 full-time equivalent temporary jobs.
That’s a lot of money, and it all came to South Carolina.
Unlike 2012, 2016 will feature both Democrat and Republican presidential primaries, and South Carolina will host sanctioned nationally televised debates for both parties. In other words, the money flowing in to South Carolina in 2016 will easily eclipse the previous presidential election cycle.
Remember, the next time you hear of a presidential hopeful coming to the state or opening an office or hiring staff or running a TV ad, be sure to say, “Thank you for spending your money in South Carolina.” We’re happy to have it.
For WSPA’s coverage, click HERE.
