How To Win Any Election

How to Win Any Election

I have been creating promotional items for election candidates since 1993.This isn’t an article about any one candidate, just my professional viewpoint on what to do from a marketing perspective, to maximize the chances of winning.

First, let’s look at what not to do.

When our current Prime Minister won, I knew he would win simply based on the fact that the competition was mostly focused on knocking him. There is an old saying, “Don’t knock the competition.” I feel that saying is incomplete and should read, “Don’t knock the competition, focus on promoting your own products and services.”

Prior to our current PM winning his election, I heard all kinds of ads like, “He’s Just not ready,” “Just playing off of his name,” “His hair is nice, but he’s Just not ready.“ They are spending their dollars on promoting and getting his name known instead of focusing on what their party is bringing to the table.  Campaigns focused on knocking him were putting his name in everyone’s minds and these ads ended up helping him win. Here is an example of what not to do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tui4ysHJg6I

In the recent provincial election, I received a flyer from one of the candidates, knocking the existing councillor. I thought, “Here we go again; they just voted in this same counsellor.” The competition was spending their advertising dollars getting his name known. Well, guess who won? The councillor they were knocking. For our purposes here, it does not matter whether or not the information in the flyer was accurate. There was no mention of who was sending the flyer, of who you could vote for instead or even what they brought to the table for comparison!

I had another flyer come in from another councillor saying we needed to fix and preserve our landscapes, keep builders in check, monitor and control rooming houses, etc.

Really? These were not my top concerns as a voter. My guess is that it wasn’t what others wanted or at least not the concerns of the majority, as he lost.

Before the election, I sent him an email, outlining that this promotion did not help me decide who to vote for. He didn’t even reply. 

In the last few months, I have met with many of the local candidates, most of them one-on-one in coffee shops, to offer my help to find out what those in their area feel they need. It was interesting that each of them had their own opinions and were all different.

So, how do you win an election?

• First, conduct a survey to find out what people really think. I recommend starting early on that, at least a year before the election. You should be working hard with a market research team that can actually ask the right questions and get emotional answers back of what each person in the ward truly feels is needed for their area.
• Do a positioning survey.
• Next, a create a website based on your market research.
• Create and send out flyers based on your market research.
• Create some radio ads.
• Lawn signs placed in the relevant areas, also based on the market research.
• Social Media ads in that area based on your market research.
• Turn on Google Ads!
• I would answer all incoming emails, or at least have someone to answer them in a timely manner.
• Focus on what you bring to the table and tie this into your market research.
• Promote yourself! Make YOUR NAME known!
• You should point out true statistics that will relay enough information on whether you can do the job.

Now, can DIT Web Solutions help you win an election?

We know how to do market research properly. Visit our website at www.ontargetresearch.ca to find out more.

Then, we will position you in your area and build a proper website, complete with design, copy, and programming, making it mobile and search-engine friendly.

Watch this video to see the detail that goes into making a proper website and gives information about positioning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm49U1TMChs

One of our experienced designers will then design your flyers so we can spread the word! As we are connected with all the major radio stations in the area, we will help broker the deal with your local stations and come up with your script.

Did someone say lawn signs? Did you know we produced many of the recent provincial election signs and even made them biodegradable? We will design and print your signs based on your market research. Here is our site for lawn signs: www.lawnads.com.

Social Media Marketing in Toronto is also important to turn on full power to win an election. Armed with your latest research, we will focus on getting you front and centre in the minds of your constituents!

Getting your marketing done in-house is key. Market Research and all marketing implementations are best done by one team as coordinated actions. Since you will also need buttons, t-shirts, pens, and all the promotional giveaways, we created a website for those too: https://www.greenpromotionalitems.ca/