The Independent's Tool-box

Campaign Material

In addition to advertising in the media, which is dealt with in the media section of the Independent's Toolbox, you will need some printed campaign material to help get your message across and raise your profile.

This can be anything from small flyers to deliver to each household in the electorate or hand out to people as you meet them in the street, to a more detailed 'letter to the householder' or even a newsletter.

You will also need to have some posters made up, with your photograph and slogan. You should budget for enough large sized corflute posters to cover some good vantage spots around the electorate, and allowing for at least one at each polling booth. You will need more than one corflute for the larger booths and those with multiple entry points.

You should also have a good supply of smaller A2 sized posters to place in shopfronts - if the proprietors are willing - and other places around the electorate where you are permitted to do so. Check with your local councils before doing so to avoid any problems and negative publicity.

You will come up with ideas and material to suit your own campaign, but it is useful to have some examples to use as a guide.

Tony Windsor, independent federal Member for New England, used different types of flyers in his 2001 and 2004, federal campaigns with great success. Member for Calare, Peter Andren, has used a smaller A5-sized flyer in conjunction with a more detailed letter to each household in his campaigns.

In the 2001 election, the Calare electorate's boundaries were changed to include the town of Cowra. Peter sent a specific newsletter to each household in Cowra welcoming them to Calare. Redistributions will be taking place again in 2007 in certain states, so this may be an idea for affected candidates to consider as they prepare budgets.

Car bumper stickers can also be an effective way to help boost your profile; take a look at some examples here, here and here.