In the last few years, product marketing across many industries has shifted from print media to digital: emails over flyers in a mailbox, social media advertisements over ads printed in the newspaper, and blogs over magazine articles.
For individuals hoping to make a splash on the political scene, however, print marketing is just as effective as ever. Print marketing for political campaigns serves a number of purposes that simply can’t be displayed as clearly online. As you’re designing your political campaign, keep these concepts in mind.
Make it Easy for Voters to Display Their Candidate Preferences
Many voters don’t vote based on the candidate that they personally think is the best, especially for local positions. Often, the difference between a voter who will choose you and a voter who will go with your opponent is simply one who recognizes your name and knows some of what you stand for.
The best way to get your name out there? Use your supporters as advertisements. Any item that your supporters will use regularly is a potential voter who will see your name, get a feel for your platform, and develop an understanding of what you can offer your community. Here are the five most effective ways to do that:
Take advantage of stickers
Depending on the size and shape of your sticker, you can use it to say anything. Kids put stickers on everything, and they beg their parents for more. Somewhere along the way, those parents are going to read the stickers—and that means that they’ll understand what you’re offering. As much as possible, keep it simple. Display your name and your slogan or your most important issue. Stickers are a particularly good place to display information that’s important to parents.
Don’t forget bumper stickers
Bumper stickers are a great way to let voters show their support. Every time your supporters get in their cars, they’ll be displaying their decision to vote for you. You only get a little bit of readable text on a bumper sticker, so find a pithy message. Including excessive information will just prevent people from being able to read anything that it says. Bumper stickers are great way to direct voters to a website for more information.
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Remind people of your campaign slogan on a notepad
Notepads are a fantastic way to reach people. Everyone needs them, and they’re used frequently to share and pass on information. For how ubiquitous they are, they’re also inexpensive. When you design your notepad, keep in mind that most people want their paper to have plenty of usable space. Keep it simple and your design classic but still recognizably your logo.
Remember that coffee mugs are a staple around many offices
These are highly useful promotional items that will help you get your name out to many homes and offices. Many people carry coffee mugs with them everywhere. Take advantage of that knowledge to reach out to the voters in your area.
Utilize car magnets (they’re even bet
ter than bumper stickers)
Even the most ardent supporter of your campaign might not want to put a bumper sticker on his car that will be difficult to remove and end up stuck there when he tries to sell it. Instead, offer car magnets. Because they’re easy to remove and don’t carry the same sense of permanency as stickers, many more voters will display them—and their larger size means that more people will see them.
Share information with voters in a clear, professional manner
When you send out mailers, you want to make sure that you give voters all the information they need to know that you’re the best choice for your position. On the other hand, you don’t want to overwhelm them. Most people only look at mailers for a handful of seconds before they toss them in a drawer or into recycling. That means that you want to create opportunities to share all the information about yourself and your campaign quickly and clearly. Here are some tips and strategies for getting your message across:
Door hangers will grab attention
If you’re looking for a way to make your information stand out, try a door hanger. Because they aren’t typically picked up along with the day’s mail, voters will have longer to look them over on their way to their next task.
Plastic mailers can be sent through direct mail to maximize your exposure to your target audience
If you’ve ever wanted to target a particular geographic area directly, direct mail is a great way to get in touch with a wide array of potential voters at once. Remember that every word and image on your plastic mailer counts! Use bullet points, bold text, and leave white space to maintain voter attention and make sure that they’re getting the most critical information first.
Make your event tickets stand out
Any time you host an event, your tickets tell part of the story. Instead of leaving this space blank or using a basic ticket design, take advantage of the opportunity to share information with your voters.
Utilize yard signs to their fullest extent
Yard signs are a critical part of every political campaign. They show the world exactly where each person stands and offer you the opportunity to share more information with voters who are interested in your platform. Yard-sign designs need to be simple, but even with simplicity; you can share a lot and give your logo a lot of exposure to the community.
Use table talkers to share more detailed information
At many events, potential voters find themselves with more time to actually read table talkers and other handouts. Take full advantage of this opportunity to share more information with voters and win them to your side.
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