so much information for a limited period that it is unlikely for all the information to filter to the targeted audience.
It therefore becomes important that the message is carefully structured to make it easy to be understood before the potential voter loses interest or is snared by another attraction.

The message needs to be simple and straight to the point, and there are a number of ways that campaign teams may be able to achieve this goal.
The “single topic” strategy is about ensuring that a message is grasped quickly and effectively by conveying a single idea in any one piece of literature.
For example, Zanu-PF may have economic reform and property ownership as principal campaign topics, but both cannot be covered in the same cluster of literature, unless they are both outlined in brief.

Most campaign handouts contain the portrait of the candidate.
A portrait does not tell the potential voter anything about the candidate because head and shoulder pictures typically and only show a likeness to the candidate without adding any further information.

Photographs showing candidates talking to someone or doing something have the ability to add positive information that may be read favourably by the potential voters.
Action pictures, as opposed to standard, static portrait photos, can grab the voters’ attention and convey information better than words.
Action pictures may also be used to show the relationship between a candidate and supporters, as well as the candidate’s personal traits such as personality, confidence, temperament and interactive skills.

Pictures are important in validating or supplementing text.
If a party advocating job creation in a difficult economy uses pictures of workers performing various duties at workplaces, the impression that job creation is a possibility is reinforced.

A campaign message has a greater chance of being effective if headlines, a brief statement or two in large type is employed.
The headlines have to be large enough to be read even from a distance, and their combination with pictures become eye-catchers.
Everything else within the composition will only reinforce the brief message in large fonts.

When listing facts and opinions, writing a biography or putting together a large pool of information, there is value in presenting the text in bullet form than in long, winding paragraphs.

The potential voter has little time to waste and is unlikely to spend a lot of time attempting to understand meaning or context in campaign message packages.
Summarising the message into bulleted points ensures that it saves time and is straight to the point.

Additionally, whatever the message is, it is vital that it is packaged to be as specific as possible when offering solutions to the challenges faced by the general public.
A statement such as “the candidate supports legislation that will . . .” does not in any way mean that the candidate has an obligation to accomplish the goal but the statement conveys a stand on an important national issue.

Candidates or their close associates have to ensure that there is no ambiguity in the phrasing of sentences so as to avoid making false promises.
In political campaign, just like in graphic design for advertising, less in more.

The objective is to use as few words as possible so as not to waste voters’ time or even mislead them.
A flyer, for example, with more than 300 words is not likely to be effective because it has to be so inspirational to a potential voter to deserve more than five minutes of undivided attention.

Voters are unwilling to read lengthy manuscripts because it requires more effort than they are willing to spend or may be something that does not immediately affect them.
Consequently, phrases like “dear voter” or “attention so-and-so constituency” need to be phased out as voters know when they receive literature that they are the ones being addressed.

Language is extremely important in constructing campaign messages.
Today in Zimbabwe we have constituencies that are wholly rural and get surprised at times when candidates use English to address the potential voters.
Some like to use big words as a way to try and impress the public, but getting the message across is the sole objective at this stage.
In an election campaign, a candidate does not have enough time nor is it their role to educate voters.

Vernacular languages, action photographs, short text compositions and punchy headlines may be combined to present a flashing message with the ability to last a long time in the minds of the people that matter the most in an election — the electorate.

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