Since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called a snap election on September 20 to give Canadians their say over the government’s plan to recover from Covid-19, the political machine has swung swiftly into action.
Over the coming weeks we can expect to see intense campaigning by candidates and parties, and equally intense preparations for bringing voters to the polls in the midst of Canada’s fourth wave of the virus. Safety, as much as policy, will be key for engaging with voters, which means keeping people informed will be vital over the weeks ahead and on polling day – and clever use of marketing displays will be key.
For candidates, brand is everything right now – getting their faces and their messaging in front of as many people as they can, as often as they can. For this, few tools can rival the versatility and effectiveness of a retractable banner, which gives impressive impact in a lightweight and portable yet durable format.
Quantity Over Quality?
Election campaigns are one of the few occasions when ‘quantity over quality’ may apply – the majority of campaigns will be looking to flood their neighbourhoods and venues with their messaging, and virtually all of this will be rendered obsolete after polling day. Therefore, a good-quality, entry-level banner such as our London display fits the bill on function and economy. Alternatively, they might opt for something like Palermo, which extends up to an impressive 84 inches tall and is perfect for getting noticed in larger venues.
Leveraging the Outdoors
Of course, it’s not just indoor locations that political parties will be looking to leverage in terms of their campaigns. In the case of townhalls and rallies, candidates are often preaching to the converted, whereas in outdoor locations they have the potential to catch the eye of a much wider audience. As well as the typical billboards and posters, you can expect to see the use of outdoor retractables like our Berlin XL as well as light pole banner kits and feather banners drawing attention to both candidates and the locations of polling stations.
Safe Voting
On election day itself, display stands will have two important functions to perform – keeping the candidates and parties upmost in voters’ minds, and making sure people feel safe as they come out to vote in person. People need to be able to vote with complete confidence and safety – that means not only ensuring they are safe, but ensuring they can see that they are safe, and making sure they don’t put others at risk.
Before people enter the polling station, they’ll need to be reminded of the key messages around symptoms, face coverings and hygiene. Wayfinding will also be vital, ensuring voters adhere to queuing protocols and one-way systems. Portable sidewalk signs such as our Boston display, and even robust options like our SmartWedge product are ideal for displaying this important information in a high-impact format that’s easy to read from a distance.
As well as physical distancing measures, hand hygiene facilities will be an important, and indeed expected, feature of all polling stations. Given the large volumes of people concerned, an industrial-style design such as Frontline’s Marshall sanitizer station is a great option – it holds a 5-litre bottle of sanitizer and boasts and elbow-operated lever which further reduces the risk of cross-contamination.
Easy Hygiene
Finally, in the voting booth itself, it’s important that surfaces can be cleaned repeatedly and often to ensure optimal infection control. The use of branded screens made from non-porous materials offers a quick and easy solution – our Freestanding Swiftscreen Solo product is ideal, and can also be used for creating enclosed spaces for voting or waiting in line, preventing the airborne spread of germs and making it supremely easy to keep on top of cleaning. Opaque, frosted or printed media can be safely added to provide additional confidentiality.
If you’re stocking up on displays ahead of the election, we’ve got a wide range of quality displays ready for immediate shipping across Canada. Email sales@frontline-na.com for further information.