Local Council and Party Political Marketing in Shetland

Our independent teams work with local councils to promote local services or initiatives (using a variety of marketing and advertising techniques) to communicate with local residents about issues, as well as political parties who want to get their messages out to potential voters on either a national or local level. 

Both of these options are very different from standard advertising in commercial niches, as rules and regulations need to be strictly adhered to, and also the messaging is often more informational than "selly". As both local council and party political issues matter to all, there is often not a set "target market” as such; everyone is of interest. In light of this, we often recommend carrying out strong local campaigns with high-visibility and visual advertising techniques.

If you are looking to promote your council’s work, political party or local council issues, please get in touch with us today and we can confidentially take you through a variety of options to suit your needs and budget.

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What is Political and Local Council Advertising?

It is basically informing the general public, with factual information news and views, from either a council or political party. 

Both of these types of communication tend to be to the point and mass market, it is often the duty of a council to inform residents of what is going on, new initiatives and concerns, whilst a political party often want to get there message out to everyone who represents a potential voter and supporter of their party. 

Local councils are often governed by tight advertising budgets whilst restrictions are placed on what a political party can spend, this means a wide range of options are used, but often more cost-effective and older methods are still favoured, as they are proven and have worked before, such as print media, door drops, outdoor and vehicle advertising. 

Which Platforms Work Best for Local Authority and Political Marketing?

For local council, local authority and party political marketing we tend to suggest strong local campaigns which focus on high-footfall areas.

This means that your message will get seen by lots of people and also importantly a wide range of people. We tend to, therefore, favour outdoor marketing options for this including 48 sheets, 96 sheets, digital screens, train station advertising and various 4 and 6 sheets campaigns.

Below we highlight some options we would suggest for political marketing messages. If you are interested in looking into these get in contact with one of our friendly team today who can send over more information or free quotes:

• Billboards - billboards are brilliant at getting your individual message out there. Typically, we tend to suggest 48 sheets (these are the very large posters you tend to see at roadsides) as they offer high visibility and good value for money. We can also look at 96 sheets which are even bigger. This type of large billboard advertising very works well as you can combine images and text, as well as getting your poster into targeted high-footfall areas. You can select certain locations; popular ones tend to include shopping centres, roadsides, train stations and car parks. However, each town or city tend to have bespoke sites which are of key interest, if this is the case let us know specifically which site you would like and we will do the best to attain this for you. These poster sites tend to be hired out on 2 weeks minimum time period. If they are digital advertising billboards, sometimes shorter runs can be accommodated.

• Print media - as well as the large 48 sheets mentioned above, there are lots of other smaller poster options which work very successfully for council and political marketing. The most common types of these large-format posters are known as 4 and 6 sheets. These are large posters often seen in train stations, bus stations, train platforms, toilets in bars/clubs/cinemas and bus stops. There are lots of options to consider and you can often target personal demographics as well. Often this type of advertising works very successfully as you can also buy lots of these sites in certain areas/town centres, so everywhere people turn they are seeing your message clearly. 

• Newspaper Adverts - newspaper ads are old-fashioned, proven and still work brilliantly in local council advertising campaigns. Particularly popular with an older demographic, newspaper and press advertising is a great way to get your key messages out there. Often in these ads, you will be able to say more than you can on a poster. You can, therefore, outline plans, ambitions or your ideas in more detail so that the general public can learn more about you. We often suggest newspaper advertising to supplement outdoor options for both local council and party political marketing campaigns. 

• Leaflets - again, leaflets are an old-fashioned but highly successful way to get your message out there - they are another form of print media. Leaflets can be printed in various sizes and can give lots of specific information about plans and policies. Printing in bulk saves a lot of money and turnaround times are very quick. They are particularly effective as it allows local residents to digest information at their own leisure and when convenient. You can obviously be very detailed about your plans and proposals.  

• Social media - a very effective way to reach a mass audience quickly, posting and boosting through social media can help you target certain locations should a council need to get a message out quickly and effectively. 

What Are The Costs for Political Advertising?

There is obviously no set costs when it comes to political or council based advertising and marketing. Obviously, advertising in this area is rightly strictly governed and often budgets are below those of businesses operating in the commercial sector. Costs are dependent on what a party or council want to spend but often it is options such as outdoor, vehicle, print, social media and newspaper which are the most popular.

Particularly with political marketing, most of the main parties will naturally have editorial coverage and interviews on TV and radio stations, so they garner coverage in those mediums in that way. 

If you would like more information or council or political marketing options, please drop us a message today and one of the team will outline some options based on your budget and location. 

Contact Us

If you are a local council, local authority or political party in Shetland looking for help in booking selected media for your campaigns get in contact today and we will put together a list of suggestions based on your needs.

Alternatively, if you know what you are looking for we can book outdoor, press ads, radio and more, at the best prices all over the UK.