'Slicing and dicing': How some U.S. firms could win big in 2016 elections

(Reuters) - By one estimate U.S. online political advertising could quadruple to nearly $1 billion in the 2016 election, creating huge opportunities for digital strategy firms eager to capitalize on a shift from traditional mediums like television.

These firms - mostly small, partisan and based in Washington and surrounding suburbs - have grown in sophistication since the last presidential election in 2012. A niche sector in a multi-billion election industry, they are poised to play a much bigger role in 2016 as digital ads assume more importance and change the way political money is spent on advertising.

The companies, typically privately held and staffed by 30 to 100 people with engineering and developer backgrounds, will operate in the background of election campaigns. But their influence will likely be felt in millions of households as they help candidates tailor online adverts for specific groups of voters.




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