subject: Unique Campaign Marketing and Campaign Materials —Don't Be a Copycat [print this page] Unique Campaign Marketing and Campaign Materials Don't Be a Copycat
John Jantsch wrote a marketing basics book called Duct Tape Marketing. In it, he explains how small businesses widely copy each other's marketing strategies, to a flaw. He calls this "copycat marketing."
Well, it is interesting and noteworthy to see how similar running a political campaign is to marketing a small business. The basic concept of marketing, also explained by Jantsch, is:
"getting people who have a specific need or problem to know, like, and trust you."
Does this sound like a political campaign to you? It should. A candidate believes that he or she has a specific skill set and extensive list of qualifications that will inherently make the publicor laws, or system, or neighborhoodbetter.
So, what can a candidate do to shine above the rest? Get creative with marketing. It may be a clich, but "thinking outside the box" is a good concept to carry when deciding how to promote your candidacy.
I have worked in political printing/consulting for 9 years. Generally, I see the same logos, layouts and products for every campaign. I see these things enough to say that there has become a political template, at least outside the larger scale campaigns. A presidential hopeful undoubtedly has the cash flow and staff to implement more expensive endeavors than say, a county clerk candidate. A clerk candidate in a town of 20,000 residents is not going to launch an aggressive television ad campaign or host a wine & cheese fundraising gala. But, there are some budget-friendly ideas and campaign materials that can separate a candidate from the field. Here are a few:
-Contact the local newspaper and talk to them about doing an insert. This insert would be in the form of an inexpensive "sticky note" with a handwritten message from the candidate"Don't forget to vote for Doug Johnson on November 3rd!" Of course, you will not actually handwrite each note. You can contact a supplier to have these notes printed for you.
-Automated phone calls are one of the cheapest ways to reach a large number of people. This requires you to obtain a list of registered voters from the Board of Elections or County Clerk. This is usually free. The next step is to record a 30 second message through an automated phone service. You get charged anywhere from $.05-$.10 per connection, based on the size of your list and the number of connections the calls make.
-Use uniquely shaped custom yard signs, instead of the standard rectangle. Today, sign printers are using machines and tools that can die-cut sign materials into stars, circles, diamonds and even non-symmetrical shapes. The cost is a little higher than the standard sign, but the reward can make the extra cost worth it.
-Social networking is the way of the future. Some say that email is the new "snail mail" since people rely more on Facebook and Twitter for their news and corresponding. These venues allow you to use videos and links to direct people to your campaign. You can create your own video with a home video camera and upload it to YouTube. From there, you can share it with anyone via your Facebook page. If you aren't savvy like this, don't fret, you know a dozen people who are.
-Host an inexpensive, or cost free, gathering at a local pub. You can have a band, host a euchre tournament or meet in the parking lot for a bike rally. The pub owner should be happy to host you and all your friends. It all equals revenue for the bars and donations and recognition for your campaign.
These are just a few inexpensive, yet unconventional, ways to get voters to notice you. You could just stick out some plain yard signs, maybe even send out a black and white mail piece, and hope people remember you are running. That doesn't sound too pro-active, does it? Believe me when I say that voters will weigh your effort when considering who to vote for. Even worse, your competition will feast on your lack of effort and make your laziness known.
A candidate needs to think of his or her campaign as a marketing effort. You can't afford not to. But, you can afford to use a few clever and inexpensive tricks to earn votes and followers.
