In politics, you’re either on message or you are losing. Let’s get to it.
Welcome to On Message, a weekly look at where the battle lines are drawn and who is winning the war of words.
This week… YOU’VE GOT MAIL.
Most of the time there’s nothing exciting about going to the mailbox. It’s only bills and junk mail for the most part. By 2022, we are over our inboxes – both physical and email.
But for political communication nerds like myself, there is something of value in the mail these days… political mailers.
Now, I know most normal people will get these and deposit them directly into the trash… but even that has it’s value. Let me explain.
The sole purpose of all campaign material is to win your vote. Most mailers come with a nice photo of the candidate, some include the family and they all have have headlines and a few campaign talking points.
But the value of the mailer isn’t all that information.
What matters most is consistent branding and the consistent impressions of various campaign materials. One mailer isn’t going to get the job done just like one yard sign or one billboard or one TV spot won’t be sufficient on their own.
As a campaign, the goal is to build brand awareness. You need your name and the race you are in to be everywhere so that, when the moment comes, voters fill in that little bubble by your name.
Even when mailers get thrown in the trash, that split-second that it takes the recipient to determine it’s not of interest, should show them your name, colors and the office you seek. How long you hold that attention matters less than the frequency of the impression.
Timing also matters, especially in a state where ballots arrive in the same mail box as campaign material. Smart campaigns know when voters vote. Die hards do it in the first couple of days, everyone else near the deadline.
So, timing a mailer to hit when ballots arrive is a good strategy, and so is a blitz in the final days of the cycle.
You may think political mailers are an annoyance… and voters may think they don’t pay any attention to them. But they still have an impact and that’s why they continue to be an important part of a campaign strategy, even in the digital age.
That’s it for this week. More On Message in the next issue of the Utah Political Underground. Make sure you visit the site and sign up for our weekly email update. You can find more On Message videos, in-depth Utah political stories and analysis, plus podcasts and more at utahpoliticalundergound.com.
