Marketing expert: Ground visibility reigns supreme in political campaigning
Published:Monday | August 18, 2025 | 6:39 PM
Transforming the streets of various communities and towns into vibrant exhibits, with street lights donned in brightly coloured fabrics, accentuated by poster boards advertising member of parliament (MP) aspirants, remains a powerful tool in the arsenal of political campaigns, according to Mack and Mack’s Delano McFarlane.
McFarlane, whose marketing agency focuses on creating brand strategies and campaigns, says that while digital campaigning is growing in popularity, the current trend in the political arena is to emphasise ground visibility, with candidates investing heavily in branding through the use of signs and other paraphernalia.
Citing a significant rise in the number of new candidates running for office, McFarlane explained that bolstering name recognition is the order of the day.
“In this election cycle, there’s been an explosion in political signage, and it speaks to the changing electoral landscape. I want people to bear in mind that the last time Jamaicans went to the polls, it was in the pandemic and social distancing was the order of the day – we had gone, in many instances, fully digital,” said McFarlane.
“We’ve now returned to a more normal semblance of life, and it is expected that voter turnout will rebound along with it. Couple this with the fact that we’ve got a whole slate of new or newer candidates on both sides of the political divide and gone are many of the name-brand MPs. So, newer political candidates are looking to create recognition and create memorability,” added McFarlane.
Citing a Vanderbilt University study which found that even signs for a fictitious candidate garnered significant support, simply because of name recognition, McFarlane explained that signage and physical paraphernalia represent a tangible, memorable, and emotionally engaging experience that digital media often cannot replicate, particularly for newer political candidates.
“Repeated exposure to a candidate, through physical products such as signs, posters, buttons, T-shirts and cups, are useful in increasing familiarity, and this can have significant impact on perception, particularly likeability,” said McFarlane.
“ So, in addition to paraphernalia and signs, candidates must do the door-to-door knocking to complement, reinforce and bolster their brand name. It is going to be extremely important and, even in constituencies with brand names, visibility can give newer candidates some leverage.”
McFarlane used the occasion to remind candidates to be mindful as they spend, in order to ensure proper accounting protocols were followed following the Electoral Office of Jamaica’s promise to strengthen oversight of political spending.
“I encourage candidates to pull out all of the bells and whistles, leave no stone unturned, and sometimes it may call for a strategist, but also ensure to incorporate other professionals. Because, just as the landscape is becoming more competitive with the erosion of safe seats, so too have actors and agencies tasked with oversight become more vigilant. Remember to collect your receipts and follow the necessary accounting.”