With the nation obsessed over the presidential election, many local candidates and races may not be getting the attention they deserve. In some cases, however, the opposite is occurring: More voters are turning out at the polls and, consequently, voting in local elections.
So how do local candidates grab the attention of voters? On a recent trip to Florida, I noticed that one candidate for sheriff did it very simply: by changing the perspective. My husband, who’s not in advertising, also noticed this, thus reinforcing the marketing theory I was forming in my head.
Take a look at the campaign sign below. It’s your typical square sign — turned on its side to form a diamond. (Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the candidate’s last name, Jett, lends itself to a visual icon.)
The point is that this didn’t cost the candidate any more than a traditional square sign. But rotating the sign could mean the difference between capturing attention — and votes. The diamond-shaped sign stood out from the sea of square signs dotting both sides of the street.
Here’s where perspective and perception intersect. This diamond-shaped sign also may impart a subliminal message as well. Voters may see this as a reflection on the candidate himself, suggesting that he is non-traditional (which may not necessarily be a good thing in Florida’s Bible Belt) and willing to look at issues from a new perspective.
At the risk of jumping into the political fray, let’s go back to the presidential election for a moment. It just dawned on me that the campaign logos of the Democratic candidates focus on their first names, Hillary and Bernie, whereas the campaign logos for the Republican candidate focus on his last name, Trump. (So did those of the former Republican candidates: Cruz, Kasich, Bush.) Candidates who truly want to connect with the people should probably take the more familiar approach. Politics. Perspective. Perception. Polls. President.
Changing the perspective works wonders for catching the eye — and ear — of your audience:
- A speaker who really wants to make a point will whisper, not shout, to do so.
- Printing your business card vertically instead of horizontally can differentiate you from the competition.
- Sending a text-only promotional email will distinguish it from the glut of HTML emails cluttering the inbox.
- A handwritten thank-you note, sent via traditional mail, is likely to be remembered.
- Positioning a product upside-down on a billboard will turn heads.
So, the next time you’re looking for a unique way to market your brand, product or service, think of the diamond-shaped sign. You might just come up with a gem of an idea.
By Darcy Grabenstein, senior copywriter at Annodyne
