When an election is called, there is not much that MP candidates can do to promote themselves to the public and win that coveted ‘X’ in front of their numbers.
The natural thing to do is for candidates to meet people in their constituencies and give them name cards, flyers or pamphlets detailing their policies. But this can be time-consuming and expose them to the risk of being publicly embarrassed by supporters of their rivals.
Devising ploys or staging stunts to attract public attention is possible but does not always guarantee space in mainstream media, much less votes unless the activities are really extraordinary. For example, three candidates recently lay in coffins for photographers to signify the dangers of campaigning, and as a way to ward off malign spirits according to their belief.
But the easiest method for most candidates to get themselves known is to put up posters or cutouts featuring their faces, numbers and parties.
That explains the cluttered sidewalks and electricity poles these days, especially in Bangkok. The clutter may be annoying to some, but at least one group does not mind it at all
Posters and billboards are expected to add more than one billion baht to the sign industry this year, based on a study by Kasikorn Research Centre.
“Candidates normally launch different campaigns in different periods ahead of an election just like companies do when launching new products,” said Tanakorn Pussawong, the owner of 108Advertising Co, a leading sign and billboard manufacturer.
Full Article: The economics of election campaign posters.