THE HILL: Gavin Newsom punches GOP to Democratic applause

When California Gov. Gavin Newsom launched a bold, in-your-face ad in Florida this week, Democrats thirsty for an aggressive voice in their party began to take notice. 

The spot, which aired on Fox News programming across Florida on Monday, went after former President Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and the conservative culture of the Sunshine State.  

The ad was aimed at hitting Republicans, but it got the attention of Democrats who are worried about who could take on Trump or DeSantis — two likely prospects for the Republican presidential nomination — in 2024 if President Biden chooses not to seek a second term. 

It was particularly resonant in taking on DeSantis in his home state of Florida, which has been tilting toward the GOP but was won twice by former President Obama.  

ROKK CO-founding Partner Rodell Mollineau shared his thoughts here.

President Biden threw his support behind a carveout of the Senate filibuster to codify abortion rights, a moment some Democrats have been waiting for since May. But if his comments don’t move the needle, ROKK Founding Partner Ron Bonjean said it reinforces the idea that Democrats can’t get anything done. Read Ron’s comments- and more- in this article.

Senate negotiators working to come to an agreement on gun violence legislation are asking the White House to stay out of the talks. Some have said that President Biden’s involvement wouldn’t be “helpful” after he called on Congress to pass gun control measures, some of which aren’t even supported by all 50 Democrats. Senior Vice President John LaBombard, former communications director to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), shared his take on the value of aspirational statements that don’t move legislation here.

As advertisers are tired of the same old media mix, costly tv ads, ongoing social media regulations and restrictions and the upcoming third-party cookie demise, there is opportunity to explore how and where to reach target audiences in new ways.

Meanwhile, on a new block with not so new kids, increased streaming consumption, recent news regarding Netflix, CNN+ and other streaming services has advertisers shifting gears. Could streaming ads be the way to easy street? Perhaps. Here’s why companies should explore new inventory and placements with streaming ads. 

1. Streaming services with new ad options 

As Netflix stock goes down (about -$100 per share after its recent earnings report), with a 200,000 decrease in subscribers, layoffs, increased competition and Russia-related implications, their new needs to drive increased revenue have surfaced. Netflix’s long-avoided pressure to allow ads in-turn looms. 

Advertisers will soon be able to reach this untouched subscriber audience of 222-million (plus ~100-million more users) on the platform in a new (and inevitably shiny) way. Prices for Netflix ads will likely start high, but that is typical for new, early-stage, ad products. Additionally, if Netflix’s content remains high-quality, their audience, and now ads, will inevitably do the same. 

2. More ad opportunities on streaming services & apps with little to no subscription cost

As we’ve learned with the recent, abrupt, start and stop of new streaming services like CNN+, which didn’t make it after only garnering 150,000 subscribers in its first-two weeks, people don’t want to pay more for streaming services. 

Enter more advertising opportunities. Even CNN says it will now instead offer more, free, ad-supported content instead of making politically affiliated and interested viewers pay out of their own pockets to watch. Ads over subscription costs will be the name of the Netflix (and Disney+) game too. Ads will outnumber streaming subscription costs at the end of the day. 

3. And don’t forget ads on other established streaming platforms 

Leading streaming players such as Amazon, Hulu and YouTube that already have mass audiences are hungry for a bigger, less expensive, piece of the streaming pie. They will in-turn continue to follow the above trajectories (ads over subscription costs) too. 

They already have droves of advertisers, with many anxious to test drive if they haven’t already and CTV technology and vendors making it seamless to reach target audiences across many prominent streaming platforms. Amazon, Hulu and YouTube will only proceed to build on their Big Tech bases to become even more viable, ad-supported, streaming services. Roku has additionally recognized the need to improve its ad data to enhance its ad product as the revenue stream grows.

Companies should ultimately take advantage of the streaming wars as audiences, brands, consumers and streaming services alike advance toward more options in the wonderful world of advertising. 

Rachel Winer is SVP Digital at ROKK Solutions.

As Americans prepare to return to the ballot box for the midterms this November, political strategists and media figures are heralding a Republican takeover of the House. In preparation for the pendulum swinging to the right, many in Washington, D.C. are already taking their feet off the gas when it comes to engagement with Democrats, paying less attention to the issues they view as important to the left.

This is a mistake.

ROKK Managing Director Lindsay Singleton, who also founded and leads ROKK’s Social Impact Communications practice, shares her recent research and thoughts around the importance of ESG issues with voters at the polls this fall. Read the article in Triple Pundit here.

Democrats once hailed Build Back Better as the policy that could help them win the midterms.

But as even the possibility of a scaled-back version of President Biden’s signature legislation fizzles in the 50-50 Senate, some are wondering if the president will have anything comparable to campaign on as the election season inches closer. 

ROKK Co-founding Partner Rodell Mollineau, shares his take on the messaging for the upcoming elections, and just how much Democrats have accomplished, in this article on The Hill.

Gas, airfares, Uber rides, even chicken wings, you name it, these days, we’re all paying a whole lot more for it. But how long will Americans put up with it? 

And what about investors? The S&P 500 briefly dipping into bear market territory, although we didn’t close here today. 

ROKK Partner Kristen Hawn joins Charles Payne on Your World to talk about the upcoming midterm elections, and the role inflation is playing in voter sentiment in this episode on Fox News.

According to recent research from Lindsay Singleton at ROKK Solutions and Penn State Smeal College of Business, those under 45 take environmental, social and governance issues more seriously than their older counterparts, regardless of political affiliation. Thus, with more and more societal issues becoming political, it’s imperative for all organizations to have a communications plan in place prior to an impending social threat. To view this lively conversation with communications experts from McDonald’s, IMPACT ROI and ROKK Solutions and learn how to create a framework for determining when and how to respond to social threats, click here.

Washington, D.C. –ROKK Solutions, a bipartisan public affairs firm at the nexus of policy, politics and communications, is pleased to welcome three new associates to its growing team:

Ben Khoshbin: Khoshbin joined ROKK as a senior account executive in April 2022, bringing with him a dynamic understanding of public opinion research and its importance in crafting persuasive and resonant messaging. After honing his skills as the director of business development at Echelon Insights, Khoshbin will add a data driven approach to ROKK’s steadily growing repertoire of strategists.

Evelyn Swan: Swan joins the firm as an account executive after working her way up to deputy press secretary for Senator Angus King Jr. She has a versatile communications skillset and a keen understanding of the dynamics of Capitol Hill. Swan graduated from Thomas College in Waterville, ME, where she graduated with a bachelors of business in business management.

Sofia Casamassa: Casamassa joins as an associate account executive after graduating from American University, majoring in public relations and political science. With professional experience in communications and digital media, Casamassa will bring a pulse on current affairs and detailed understanding of communications fundamentals. 

“We are very pleased to welcome Ben, Evelyn and Sofia to the team at ROKK. It’s crucial that we continue to bring in associates with diverse perspectives, experiences and opinions to deliver the best strategic insights and execution for our clients,” said Partner Kristen Hawn. “We look forward to the contributions this group will make to our clients and their communications initiatives.”

These three new associates are the latest to join the growing ROKK team, which has welcomed 9 new hires in 2022 to keep up with its strategic expansion and measured growth. Over the past three years ROKK has been recognized with a variety of professional accolades including: PRovoke Agency of the Year finalist, The Reeds Agency of the Year finalist, SABRE awards finalists, inclusion in the Agency Elite 100 list, a Platinum dotCOMM award, an Innovation SABRE award, and most recently an Hermes Gold award. With a 360-degree integrated suite of capabilities including digital and paid media and a creative studio, ROKK is a sought-after agency for Fortune 100 organizations, nonprofits and associations looking to create change in Washington.

There is a new issue that business leaders are wrestling with: figuring out their new role in society as ushers of profit and social fairness. When social issues arise that make groups feel marginalized or under attack, employees want their organization to stand up for them. But standing up sometimes means incurring the wrath of investors and community stakeholders. And CEOs, who consumers want to hear from most (vs. a more generic response from the company as a whole) are in the middle.

Democratic strategist and ROKK Co-founding Partner Rodell Mollineau, Republican strategist and ROKK Co-founding Partner Ron Bonjean and Impact ROI CEO and ROKK Senior Advisor Steve Rochlin weigh in on how the CEO of Disney, Bob Chapek, handled the company’s recent response to LGBTQIA+ legislation as a case study for these issues as social threats to organizations and how they can be anticipated and managed successfully. Read the article here.