Sir, – We recently entertained some friends from Scotland. They commented on the way the city was festooned with election posters, a practice they do not know of at home. I began to wonder if anyone has ever looked into the effectiveness of these posters.
I would be interested to hear from any of the many candidates, or their campaigners, or anyone from the back rooms of the political parties, who have any evidence – other than anecdotal – that posters are an effective tool in election campaigns.
Campaigns have become such micromanaged affairs in recent years that I cannot believe that the political parties, at least, would waste money on unproven methods. But it appears to me that, in previous elections, unsuccessful candidates spent just as much on posters as successful ones. This prompts me to think that the reasons candidates use posters is “because the other candidates use them”.
Could someone with data show me that I’m wrong, and that posters are of some proven benefit to candidates? – Yours, etc,
TONY McCOY O’GRADY,
Grangebrook Close,
Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.