Political Campaign: Kelly Allard for Medicine Hat City Council
The Ask: To support a political campaign for Kelly Allard in her first-time run for Medicine Hat City Council, including the delivery of print collaterals, website content and UX, and social media strategy and content.
The Process:
Competitive analysis & research: I reviewed what the established front-runners in the race were doing and saying, as well as immersing myself in some self-learning about political campaigns, especially in the social space.
Concept ideation: Following this research, I worked directly with candidate Kelly Allard to solidify communications pillars and campaign strategy. I also worked alongside Megan Allard, a friend and graphic designer living in Sidney Australia in identifying and establishing a visual identity.
Implementing the plan: I began with multiple interviews with the candidate, and transformed that text into website copy, signage, advertising collaterals, and 4-paneled social media posts uniquely customized for Instagram and for Facebook. We set the campaign hashtag #Kelly4MHCC The next step was to work closely with the graphic designer to match these posts with appropriate imagery and schedule the delivery time and hashtags for each.
Execution: We began our campaign in the social media space, relying primarily on organic reach with a minimal paid promotions budget, and quickly engagement and follower numbers on the campaign pages began to rise — particularly on Facebook, which fits with the target demographic behavior. We then complemented this reach with physical advertising, including adverts on bus benches, in a local news paper, and through flyers and cards. All print collaterals featured a QRL code connected to a LinkTree designed to unify print and digital content.
The Result:
”Before the campaign I was known to very few people other than my family and friends. By the end of the campaign I was being recognized in the street. I came in 14th which was very respectable considering at the last minute a former crown prosecutor and a former police chief joined the race (they ended up placing first and second). I finished ahead of candidates who had done door knocking, did a bunch of meet and greets and spent a LOT more money than I did.Liz taught me a lot. Not only do I still have all the followers I did during the election but I have even increased them by 50%. I was recruited by a local online news service and now have a paid position writing.”
- Kelly Allard, referencing this project on LinkedIn
Website here
Facebook page here (Please note: Has since become a platform for Kelly Allard’s political and civil activism and reporting, which began following her campaign.)
Social Media 4-panel post sample series:
Sample Series #1 - Meet the Candidate
Sample Series #2- Issue Specific
Sample Series #3- Issue Specific
Sample Series #4- General Knowledge