The recent US presidential election saw fierce fighting from both Republican and Democrat camps and an essential part of both parties’ campaigns was drumming up support through print. Although both had a big drive via digital channels like Facebook and Twitter, up to $6 billion was spent by both parties on local, state and national elections across the country this year injecting the US print industry with significant business.
What print did
You might think that print campaigning is somewhat of a dying art but direct mailing, flyering, wide-format signage and speciality printing like bumper stickers played a major role in the election. Rochester Institute of Technology Professor Emeritus Frank Romano told PrintWeek that he’s noticed an increase in the amount of direct mail print being sent out by political parties as well as increase in customised mail as marketers try and make printed material more personal. Many of the direct mail pieces sent out used digital printing services to directly address the receiver by name for example. Romano also said a significant number of promotional postcards were sent out.
Innovations in print have increased the possibilities of what can be produced. Far more people were using law signs to announce their affiliations and that’s in part because lawn signs can now have a picture of the candidate on them because of innovations in wide format inkjet.
Print in future campaigns
Commentators also saw clever uses of technology to enhance print. QR codes started to be used in political direct mail and Jerry Cerasale, senior VP at the Direct Marketing Association predicts that QR codes will be used increasingly in 2014 and 2016.
This year data compliers and analyst companies helped campaigns to compile more precise, useful mailing lists via which they could contact potential voters which may well have benefitted the direct marketing industry. The main question surrounding the marketing of campaigns in the future is how big a role social media and digital communication will play. Commenting on this trend Cerasale told PrintWeek,
“There have been stories on the millions of “likes” that Romney and Obama had on social media, but what still hasn’t been determined is whether those translate into votes. SO the efficacy of putting money into social media is something that’s going to be studied hard and analysed in the coming months to see, come the next election, where you’re going to be putting your money.”
