Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign

Cross-posted to ye olde Election Blog at Blogs Canada.

As you know, every election, our country becomes covered in clapboard and plastic signs advertising the candidates. As the campaign proceeds, four or five signs can sprout on a single street corner, competing for the ‘eye-share’ of passing commuters.

Oddly, signage seems to be a cornerstone of campaign marketing.

The signs are generally all the same. In the party colours, they feature a serious head shot of the candidate, their name and party and, if they’re lucky, a little endorsement from the party leader. There seem to be two sizes: the large 4′ x 8′ ones and the small 2′ square ones. Because of budget, the smaller parties tend to stick only with the smaller ones. I was driving in West Van yesterday and the Green Party candidate’s tiny mustard-coloured sign was positively dwarfed by the shoe-in incumbent from the Conservatives (check out the awfully-pixelated photo on his site).

Clearly, a great deal of money and effort are spent on these things. As a marketing and PR professional, I have to wonder, is it really worth it?

The average urbanite sees at least 500 advertising images every day. Now clearly a timely event like an election will make the signs stand out more than, say, a random Diet Coke ad. However, I can’t imagine that the ads are really influencers. They all look the same, they cluster together (diminishing their value) and, ironically, do absolutely nothing to differentiate the candidates. A group of signs essentially says ‘we’re some folks running for office’.

Presumably the sole reason for campaign signage is that standard marketing chorus: ‘get our name out there’. Candidates are clearly worried that, come election day, voters won’t know who they are or what party they’re associated with. This latter point is rather silly, as the ballot clearly states their association.

For the non-marketing savvy, spending money and effort on signs may seem a sound approach. The signage, however, is a shotgun approach and lacks any kind of finesse.

I used to run a theatre company. For a given show, we might post a 1000 posters around the city. That had a meagre impact, however, compared to getting a single reviewer out to the opening. Much of that money and time is better spent on more effective public relations. When a candidate appears in the media, they’re going to leave a far more lasting impression on the voter.