Election Flair

Every four years, they sprout up in front yards across America. Colorful lawn placards, in varying combinations of red, white and blue, declaring the preferred candidate of the occupants of the home beyond.  Other pieces of Election Flair can be found in the form of bumper stickers, buttons, and pins.

I’ve never been one to put up lawn signs.  But seeing them all over my neighborhood makes me wonder: do they have any affect?  Are they worth the investment by the campaign?  Do they make passers by think about their voting intentions?

My guess is that on truly undecided voters, lawn signs, bumper stickers and the rest have very little persuasive effect.  Certainly they aid brand awareness, but in an election year, it’s hard not to know who the candidates are.  They may also have a cumulative effect if an entire neighborhood is littered with signs from one candidate or another.  And certainly they serve to give the sign’s owner a sense of connection and participation.

But do the lawn placards have any persuasive effect?  I don’t think I’m going out on a limb when I say they don’t.

But maybe they can.  What if the lawn sign didn’t just show that the owner supported the candidate, but also why?  Imagine if the lawn sign directed viewers to a You Tube channel where they could see an uploaded video or written testimonial from the specific homeowner.  It wouldn’t be difficult. Simply ship the sign with a set of instructions for people to upload their videos.  The site would have to be moderated somehow to prevent shenanigans from the other side’s supporters, but that’s not insurmountable.

The best part is the site could take on a life of its own, with a collection of thousands of voters’ testimonials.  It would certainly get coverage in the conventional media, and it would show the connections people have to the candidate.

It’s an idea.  What are some other ways lawn signs could work a little harder?