Kevin Singer | How Vertical Video Is Changing Political Campaigns: The Vertical Buzz S3E9

What happens when political campaigns move from the television screen to the phone? 📱🎥

This week on The Vertical Buzz, Buzz sits down with Kevin Singer, political media strategist and founder of Singer Strategic, to explore how vertical video is changing the way candidates communicate with voters.

Kevin brings a unique perspective to the conversation. He has spent more than a decade working in political communications and paid media, previously worked in public affairs media at Meta, and is also a professional actor. That combination makes for a fascinating look at the intersection of politics, performance, advertising, and authenticity.

We break down what makes political vertical content work, why simply repurposing a television commercial usually misses the point, and why the first few seconds of a vertical ad can be critical.

In this episode, you will learn:

📱 Why political campaigns have increasingly become phone-first🎬 How vertical video differs from traditional TV and CTV advertising⏱️ Why the first five seconds can make or break a political ad🎭 Why authenticity is so difficult to fake in vertical video⚾ What political campaigns can learn from a viral baseball ad🤖 How campaigns are approaching AI-generated political content💰 Why paid media remains critical, especially for local campaigns📲 Why TikTok's restrictions on political advertising matter🎙️ How politicians can use podcasts and influencers to reach voters🧠 Why vertical content requires campaigns to balance speed, volume, and risk🎥 What campaigns can learn from the vertical strategies of candidates like Zohran Mamdani and Abdul El-Sayed🏛️ And Kevin's thoughts on how political communication could continue evolving

Plus, Kevin and Buzz get into acting, Machiavelli, baseball food, theater critics, and the Vertical Top 10: Signs Your Political Campaign Has Gone Vertical.

Chapters

00:00 Vertical Campaigning Shift01:52 Show Intro and Big Questions03:23 Meet Kevin Singer06:22 Origins and Berkeley Years08:57 Politics Meets Acting13:25 Launching Singer Strategic17:24 Why Vertical Video Wins28:39 Tax Day Viral Timing30:00 Backlash And Speed Risks32:16 Stop The Scroll Authenticity35:23 Vivek Baseball Ad Breakdown40:46 AI Versus Human Content43:07 Local Campaign Vertical Strategy46:34 El Sayed And Endorsement Clips01:00:13 Borrowed Credibility Explained01:01:18 Podcast Clips as Political Ads01:03:26 Rapid Fire Segment Begins01:04:30 Why TikTok Bans Political Ads01:13:59 Machiavelli and Authentic