I don’t know that bumper stickers and yard signs do anything other than boost morale, but I do it anyway.
I love seeing the signs on peoples yards, makes me feel not so alone... fires me up!
Can’t even see the grass on my yard I have so many signs =) I am an extremist... Plus, I think undecided people who may not talk politics with their neighbors, see a yard sign and it may help... or it could also get your car keyed and your house egged.... I have had many of my signs stolen.
I heard that bumper stickers are worth about $200~$300 of advertising. Yard signs, I don’t know.
They do two things. They encourage fellow supporters to also stand up, creating a unified voice. They also sway the pop-culture type voter who does what is popular or what follows the crowd.
I’m sure they help. It’s like free advertising.
Unfortunately, I can’t put a bumper sticker on my car where I live as I’d probably get a damaged car.
I think bumper sticks/yard signs help most for downticket races and ballot issues... not so much on Prez level.
A key aspect in marketing is “impressions” - they say it takes about 6-7 impressions for a name (person or product) to stick in someone’s head.
Each yard sign, particularly those which are not strewn across public roadsides but rather placed on private property to represent real support from a real household, makes an impression on every voter who sees it.
In my neighborhood, I’ve only seen one Obama sign, even in the yards of die-hard Democrats displaying big signs for other Dem candidates. And that, likewise, makes an impression.
My yard signs will go up soon. They will be well oiled with poison ivy juice!
It’s called the ‘Bandwagon Effect’. The idea that there are a lot of people supporting your candidate. Didn’t work out so well for Ron Paul, though.
I think they just make you personally feel better and, in turn makes other supporters feel better. (Putting up signs always makes me feel like I’m 14 again and scribbling I
‘I love Fred’ on the outside of my notebook) :)
Who knows, it might have influence with some of the dumber voters (whose vote we all need). I personally am afraid of vandalism, since liberals these days have gotten so strident. I hate to be a p*ssy about it, but in the position I am at in life, I couldn’t afford going to jail for beating the crap out of some lowlife stoned liberal scumbag.
I think it does.It at least gets neighbors talking!
Re the bumperstickers...I proudly display mine and get some “thumbs-up” from folks passing my car on the road,or even a “I couldn’t agree more” from people who pass me in the parking lot at the grocery store.In any event, it makes me feel good and I feel as if i’m making some kind of difference,regardless of how small.
I am in MA and I see more Kerry Edwards Stickers still than I see of Obama stickers
I don’t know about everyone else,
but I’m always curious about what kind of kook is driving the car with the 0bama sticker on it. I’ll get next to them to take a peek.
Usually a young kid.
I have a Maverick/barracuda bumper sticker on my truck but my yard signs tend to get only the vandals attention
Branding is one of the most effective forms of marketing. Look at the money companies pour into NASCAR sponsorships
Value of lawn signs is moot here in the twin cities. The crack RNC team and/or the McCain campaign haven’t been able to supply McCain/Palin lawn signs to the Victory Office here even though it’s now been 2+ weeks since Sarah was picked.
They help from the standpoint of motivating other like-minded people to become motivated and rally around the candidate to activism. They also help the candidate to keep going day after day as he sees them around town.
When I used to manage campaigns my first instructions to people posting signs, whether paid vendors or volunteers, was to give them a map of the route the candidate drives to work or to the campaign HQ and insist that the route be plastered with his/her signs
I have seen “Family for McCain” yard signs this week in my neighborhood. I think that’s GREAT!