For a number of signage firms, election time is the time to grab some good signage projects, irrespective of which political parties they may lean towards. We notice a handful of PSPs and sign-makers in big and small cities around Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh having been closely tied up with some leading political parties to provide them signage solutions of any kind, whether it’s for poll campaign, promotional rally, local party meeting and others. And year after year, this scope of signage business being involved in elections is getting broader.

Although many political parties constantly carry out their promotional campaigns throughout the year in one way or another, such activities attain peak only when elections are right around the corner. Sign-makers must keep this in mind. After all, compared to older days, signage jobs involved in elections campaigns these days have been scaled up. An absolute reason behind this progression could be the advent of advanced wide-format printing and production technologies capable to churn highly-textured graphic prints on diverse media range.

Apart from the traditional poster culture, election campaigns nowadays have been engrossed through different mediums—it could be OOH, backlit displays, vehicle graphics and others designed in innovative formats and models. This development in the signage industry has been seen not only in India but all over the world, even in the poll campaigns of the 2016 US presidential election.

Just recently, in the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav launched an iconic election campaign by kicking off the Samajwadi Vikas Rath Yatra, in which the rath was a high-tech Mercedes Benz bus wrapped stunningly with graphics portraying the party’s strong political ideologies. In addition, the customised rath featured an interior peculiarity as the vehicle was fitted with LED screens playing video clips and photo slides showing the chief minister’s achievements. Inside the vehicle, a conference of six persons could be conducted.

Now that the signage market is filled with new opportunities for unconventional signage projects, like the ones for election campaigns, sign making firms must upgrade their machine portfolios as well as creative level to take part in the progression. In this respect, they should adopt at least a set of industrial printing systems capable to maintain high-volume productions, churning non-traditional materials like textiles, premium vinyl films, etc. Moreover, adoption of a soft signage printer for flags and textile prints would be an implication for taking up projects on ‘election’ campaigns.

Be a signage player who creates creative and effective election campaigns, which are rather effective than usual political speeches and debates. In this issue, our regular Region Exclusive coverage takes a momentary break, will resume in the next.

Wishing you all a very enjoyable festive season!

– Sonal Khurana
sonal@smediagroup.in