MiQ Australia has introduced a brand-new programmatic advertising tool that lets brands and political advertisers target voters based on their electorates. This smart solution solves a long-running problem with postcode and city-level targeting, which often overlap multiple electorates and weaken campaign effectiveness.
For the first time in the programmatic advertising space, this tool allows advertisers to deliver precise messages to voters using detailed data on TV viewing habits, including national and local news watchers, bilingual households, and those following debates or election stories. This marks a big step forward for how campaigns can connect with their audience in Australia.
What Makes This Targeting Tool Special?
MiQ’s new electorate targeting solution is built into its existing programmatic system. It works across multiple media channels and uses a wide range of Demand-Side Platforms (DSPs) and premium data partners. This ensures advertisers can deliver messages to the right people, in the right places, at the right time.
The tool also enriches campaign planning with data from the Australian Electoral Commission and real-time public sentiment gathered from social platforms like Reddit. This combination of voter data and live insights offers a complete picture of how electorates are thinking, giving campaigns a clear edge.
“We’ve solved the postcode targeting problem,” said Vishal Shah, MiQ’s Head of Product & Solutions. “By working with Foursquare and our skilled teams in India, we built custom geo-shape files for every electorate. These are uploaded straight into DSPs, letting advertisers reach only the electorates they need — no spillover.”
Tested and Proven in Australia’s Federal Election
MiQ has already put this tool to the test in the current Australian Federal election. According to the company, all electorates targeted through this system performed above campaign benchmarks. The use of frequency optimization also helped MiQ boost reach, especially in smaller, harder-to-target electorates.
Fiona Roberts, Managing Director of MiQ Australia and New Zealand, said: “Our new solution is a first in programmatic advertising. It offers brands and political marketers unmatched precision and strong post-campaign insights at the electorate level.”
As Australia’s Federal election enters its third week, this tool arrives at a perfect time for political parties looking to deliver sharper, more effective messages. MiQ’s success in Australia builds on its achievements in the United States, where the company has a strong political advertising team. There, it developed similar programmatic solutions ahead of the 2024 U.S. elections.
“We took what worked for the U.S. market and adapted it for Australia,” Shah explained. “This is a powerful new way for political and brand marketers to connect with voters.”
How It Works
Traditionally, advertisers could only target audiences by cities or postcodes. However, these boundaries often overlap, covering multiple electorates. This makes it hard for campaigns to control where their ads actually land.
MiQ’s tool uses advanced geo-shape files created for every Australian electorate. This allows advertisers to pinpoint exactly which electorates they want to target — no more, no less. These geo-files are added directly into DSPs, giving programmatic traders exact control over ad delivery.
The platform also draws on rich data sources, including:
- Australian Electoral Commission voter data
- TV viewing habits by household
- Language preferences
- Sentiment data from platforms like Reddit
This layered approach ensures every campaign is backed by real-time, reliable data.
What This Means for Political and Brand Marketers
With this tool, political campaigns can speak directly to key voter groups, while brands can align themselves with communities that matter most to them. For example, advertisers can focus on electorates where voters are more active on certain issues or are more likely to engage with specific types of content.
“Whether you’re a political campaign or a brand, this tool offers a powerful, new way to engage during election season,” Shah said.
What’s Next for MiQ?
MiQ says this is just the start. According to Fiona Roberts, the company plans to launch more exciting products this year to give advertisers even more ways to reach their target audiences with precision and clarity.
