by Dave Zornow
Saturday’s pre-election mail brought a flurry of expensive, glossy direct mail pieces timed to arrive just before Tuesday’s general election. I quickly scanned them and threw them into recycling. It’s what I do with most direct mail pieces.
Which isn’t to say these mailers weren’t effective. Maybe they subconsciously reinforced a decision I had already made. Or maybe they just needed to be in my mailbox down the home stretch so that candidate A’s literature could be sure to cancel out candidate B’s message.
Like it or not, during an election cycle candidates are not so different from many advertised products. Each has a unique brand image — hopefully positive — with specific attributes that voters will hopefully recall on election day.
Politicians have alot of different ways to get the word out: lawn and store signs, print, radio, TV, Internet, email, robo-calls, public appearances and word of mouth. Their messages can take the form of endorsements, attack ads, “ribbon cutting events”, etc.
What works for you? Can you remember the point in this election cycle when you decided for whom you would vote — and what changed your mind? And if you have never varied in your opinion, has any of the campaigning had any effect at all? Is there a form of marketing that works best for you that pols have yet to figure out?
Hit the Comment link and tell us what you think. The politicians *are* listening — and may well incorporate your comments into future campaigns.
