Signworld – campaign signs how to make them work for you

SignWorld – Campaign Signs: How to Make Them Work For You

Whether they are lining the interstate, displayed on a front lawn or being proudly waved and positioned in front of tv cameras at a candidate rally, campaign signs have become a staple in modern elections and referendums. Today candidates can look back on years of experience – both failures and successes – and determine how these campaign signs can be best designed to achieve maximum effectiveness.

The colors of politics.

If you are a candidate from the Democrat or Republican party, your sign colors are pretty much set. But those running for more local offices, and those campaigning for people to “vote yes” or “vote no” on a particular issue, have more choices to make here.

Signs should be easy to read. Their color needs to be attention getting but not so outlandish that people will not take the candidate or issue seriously. The most common choices are red or blue lettering on a clean white background, or white lettering on a blue or red background.

K.I.S.S

Using the K.I.S.S principle (or keeping it simple, stupid) cannot be emphasized enough, especially when it comes to lawn signs. If you can’t get your message across to a motorist from 20 feet away within a second or two, your sign is either too hard to read or too complicated.

A border around the edge of the sign can help draw the eye inward while a sans-serif font like Ariel or something similarly simple will be the easiest to read from a distance. While some campaigners find it useful to include a photograph or other type of image on the sign, this too should be kept simple.

Finally, once you decide on a “look” keep it consistent on all of your signage. During the campaign, that look becomes part of your brand and eventually people will recognize a sign for a candidate or issue without even reading it. If there is too much variation in your signs, you will miss out on this important advantage.

Sign placement strategies Now that you know a bit more about designing an effective campaign sign, it is worth taking the time to consider the best areas to place them. Since they can represent a significant chunk of a campaign budget, you’ll want to place them where you can get the most bang for your buck.

Here are a few strategies and tips to consider:   

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Voter area – make sure you aren’t wasting signs and money by placing them outside your voter area. Get an electoral map so you know the boundaries.

High traffic areas – the more people that see your signs, the better, so corners of busy intersections are ideal.

Know restrictions – some municipalities have strict rules about where signs can and cannot be placed. Even on private residential property, there is often a requirement that signs be at least ten feet back from the road. Take the time to educate yourself on these rules and make sure your volunteers understand them too.

Next to competitors’ signs – one technique for signs on public property, is to place your signs next to those of your competitors. Making sure that you place signs that are larger, conveys the message that you are a stronger candidate than your competitor.

Remember, even in an age of the internet and social media, lawn signs are still a very effective way for candidates to gain name recognition. And the better you understand how to make campaign signs work for you, the greater name recognition you are likely to get.

See more at: http://signworld.org/signworld-campaign-signs-how-to-make-them-work-for-you/