The Economics Of Political Lawn Ads

June 20, 2016 in Daily Bulletin

Economics Yard SignsErnie Smith wrote about the use of lawn ads in political campaigns:

  • Political lawn signs are pricey. They cost almost $3 a pop and you need thousands of them.
  • All in all it’s probably just cheaper to run a TV ad campaign – especially if you factor in the propensity for the signs to be stolen or vandalized.
  • One study found that the difference that lawn signs make is small – a voter share increase of about 1.7%.
  • This is unsurprising. A lawn sign only tells you the candidate’s name and nothing about their policy ideas or priorities.
  • Still companies make millions selling the signs to campaigns. The latest tactic is to claim that oddly shaped signs will help draw attention.

Read about the history of political lawn ads, how Facebook is removing the one possible advantage they used to have, and other details here.

Source: Atlas Obscura