Technology giants to descend on conventions

Both conventions are also a rich advertising market for issue-based advocacy groups to deliver their messages to likely voters and political activists — particularly through various forms of mobile advertising, targeted geographically toward people at the conventions.

“It’s pretty safe to assume that the majority of delegates and media who are in Tampa and Charlotte will have smartphones,” said Rob Saliterman, who oversees Republican political advertising at Google. “And that provides a lot of new opportunities for issue-advocacy groups to reach the people who they most want to be in front of.”

One such group is the U.S. Travel Association, which is buying mobile search ads around terms like “Tampa hotel” or “Charlotte restaurants” to promote its “Vote Travel” ad campaign.

“We figure there’s going to be a lot of folks on mobile and tablet in those areas so we’re focusing in,” said Blain Rethmeier, the group’s senior vice president for public affairs. “If people are on the bus waiting to get to the convention center, or shuttling from once place to another, mobile is one place we’re primarily focused on.”

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