Winning Promos for Political Campaigns (Winning Choices: Sizzling campaign promos prove vital in hot races)

Every industry has its quirks when it comes to choosing the right product to hit the target market. For political campaigns, this is a pretty broad target — every registered voter in a given area. Politicians are trying to reach people from every income level and across most age ranges (except, of course, those under 18), which means they need to appeal to a variety of interests. Choosing products that get the message across can be a daunting task, but your peers have hit the mark by using a combination of creative new ideas and the standard favorites.

Like your corporate clients, distributors report that politicians are always looking for something new. Carol Muller of Proforma APC in Denver, Pa., has put together several attention-grabbing promos that tied in with her candidates’ logos, slogans or campaign messages. Among them was a ruler from Aakron Rule imprinted with “integrity rules” for a judicial race. “My candidate’s campaign message stressed the integrity and honesty he was bringing to the position, and this promotional product complemented his message perfectly,” she recalls.

Muller also helped a county district attorney, who was a write-in candidate, reinforce his, “It’s time for change” slogan. “We racked our brains and came up with the idea for a change purse,” she remembers. “Instead of walking up to people and trying to start a political conversation out of thin air, people were approaching my candidate to receive their change purse and sticking around to chat.”

Catchy ideas like these are surefire conversation starters, and that’s just what a political candidate needs. But due to the nature of the campaign trail, promos often have to be inexpensive and easy to hand out in mass quantities. “That’s why buttons and pins are a popular item,” says Lynn Schatz, marketing manager for Avaline in Parsippany, N.J. “They have even become collectibles with unforgettable campaign slogans or likenesses of the candidates. Who can forget ‘I Like Ike?’”