Home > Learn > Politics & Print: Print Essentials for a Successful Political Campaign

Whether you re chairing a push for school reform or managing a state- or nation-wide campaign for public office, consistent messaging of and on all platforms is essential. Like it or not, your campaign s success hinges on your ability to stay on-brand in everything you do, say, share, or print, so you need to take the time to create your own agreed-upon branding strategy. Quality candidates and important issues can easily fall through the cracks without a consistent plan for achieving and maintaining name recognition.

Not sure where to start in developing your candidate or issue s branding strategy? Here are some key brand essentials for political print marketing:

Political Branding Essentials

• Imagery
  • It is imperative that you and your team agree upon the images you will use as you promote your candidate or issue. The tone of the images, whether headshots or graphics, should reflect that of your campaign.
• Consistent Color Scheme
  • Your campaign should also select an intentional color scheme to be applied to all print and digital marketing pieces. This includes defining when to use each shade and maintaining consistency throughout.
• Clear, Concise Wording
  • Any text you print or share should be easy to understand and repeatable without being repetitive. Your platform should be clear and concise, to the extent that the reader could share it with others without too much difficulty. Your words must be authentic and line up with the overall tone of your campaign.
• Catchy Slogan
  • If it fits your campaign s personality, a catchy slogan can make a big difference. From Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too to I Like Ike, history has shown that a great slogan has staying power. Used wisely, a few well-placed words can really set your campaign apart!
• Call to Action
  • Just like your slogan, consider developing a consistent Call to Action that beckons the reader to respond to and interact with your campaign in a specific way. Remind them to vote on election day, to sign up for your email list, or to visit your website for ways they can get involved. 

Related Articles: 10 Design Lessons From Starbucks  New Brand Guidelines; 9 Ways to Improve Your Brand Design with MyCreativeShop; How to Create Your Visual Branding Strategy

1. Postcards

A well-designed postcard can become the cornerstone of a successful political print campaign. Whether you create your own from scratch or customize a professionally-designed template, make sure you follow your branding strategy and include the essential pieces in your postcard. MyCreativeShop offers both customizable standard political postcard and EDDM political postcard templates that are easy to personalize and can be printed absolutely anywhere.

2. Door Hangers

Designs via MyCreativeShop

When you re out campaigning door to door, a stack of custom door hangers you can place on the doors that don t open (and use as a conversation piece with those that do!) can become your best ally. Stay on-brand in every aspect of the design, from color scheme to content and everything in between. MyCreativeShop has a variety of political door hanger templates that can help to lighten your workload in a significant way!

3. Flyers

Designs via MyCreativeShop

Handing out flyers will probably never leave the reality of political campaigning. A compact way to get your message out, flyers are cheap and easy to share while also offering plenty of real estate for your content and a variety of size options. Allow your branding strategy to guide the design of your flyer - you can save yourself a ton of time by starting with one of our political flyer templates or create a brand new design from scratch with our blank and generic flyer templates.

4. Posters

Designs via MyCreativeShop

Posters offer a stationary method of spreading your message to the world (or at least your neighborhood). When hung in high traffic areas, posters are repeatedly viewed by numerous passersby, so make sure to place them in locations frequented by your target population. Your poster should feature a compelling image, key content items, and a well-constructed call to action. Every detail must also be in-line with your branding strategy, from your color scheme and messaging to grammar and syntax. Get a headstart on painting the town with your designs by customizing one of our political poster templates.

5. Yard Signs

Designs via MyCreativeShop

Lining the streets and sidewalks of your constituency with custom yard signs is a fantastic way to build name recognition. Prospective voters will pass by your candidate s name or your issue s call to action ("Vote Yes on X," etc.) on a regular basis. Expand your impact by including an easy to remember website for them to learn more. Make sure to stick to your brand s color scheme so that all of your marketing materials stay connected. Create your own design or start with one of our political yard sign templates to get that professional look.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, the success or failure of any campaign is based on a whole litany of factors. Political print marketing is just one piece of the puzzle, but a poorly structured print strategy can have a negative effect on the overall campaign. Developing a consistent branding strategy and sticking with it throughout your entire print catalog is essential to executing an effective campaign.

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How Can MCS help?

MyCreativeShop makes it easy for you to customize, duplicate, share, and even print everything you might need to successfully promote any political campaign. From easy to share stickers to larger than life banners, our catalog of political print is ever-expanding. Take the time today to make it work for you!

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