CANDIDATES PLOT STRATEGIES WITH STREET SIGNS

Signs of the time campaign time that is are popping up on street corners everywhere.

From billboards to small yard signs, they show support and get a candidate's name before the public.

Candidates and campaign managers are reluctant to reveal their strategies concerning signs, but say signs are an important part of running a successful campaign.

That must be true, said Ted Martin, president of Canedy Sign Co. in Sikeston which prints many political signs. This year has been the biggest year his company has ever seen.

"We've been in business since 1937," Martin said, "and we've always done political signs."

He attributes the high volume of business to a large number of candidates seeking office.

"I have never seen so many 4 by 8 signs ordered in all my life," Martin said.

Martin said he has even advised some candidates to invest their money in smaller, less expensive signs. "But the 4 by 8 is what they want. I guess if people are really for a candidate, they want people to know they are for a candidate."

In addition, smaller signs for yards have been popular. "We've had a tremendous amount of weatherproof, outdoor cardboard signs," Martin said. "This year we've serviced people from Perryville all the way through the Bootheel."

The most common strategy is to get yard signs out between a month and two weeks before an election.

With the Aug. 4 primary fast approaching, that explains why so many are springing up.

Some property owners allow any candidate to post a sign. Others allow only those candidates they support to plant a sign.

In political circles, lists of possible locations are generated and circulated.

"They can be very effective if done the right way," said one campaign manager, who declined to be named. "Especially with yard signs, you need to have a lot go up at once boom, you're everywhere. That shows real support for the candidate."

Martin said their years of experience in printing political signs have generated some expertise.

"A lot of times candidates will have a favorite color, but we can recommend color combinations that work well," he said. "We do more red, white and blue or combinations of those colors than anything else."

Ironically, that patriotic color scheme is not necessarily the best choice for visibility, Martin said. "There are plenty of other colors out there, but I guess people like those good, patriotic colors. And they do make a good looking sign."

Martin also advises that a good sign should have no more than seven words.

"If you get more than that, forget it. People can't read it," Martin said. "For the little yard signs it's best to put just the last name and office."

But he said candidates are sometimes not convinced. "They want to put everything they know on there."

"We tell them places for look for," Martin said. "We tell them to keep off the highway department property and to keep them on private property. We also recommend that as soon as the election is over, they get out and pick up the signs."

Martin said very few candidates make their own signs. "We've done stencils for people to make their own, but it's fairly easy to spot a stenciled sign."

Martin said, while signs are important, he doesn't believe any campaign can be won on signs alone. "I think you still have to use the other mediums to have good success."