Driving towards Ottawa with a family member who required specialized medical treatment, I happened to notice a roadside billboard sporting the photo and message of our Federal members of parliament. This large (about eight foot by 12 foot) billboard was strategically displayed on the outskirts of the City of Greater Sudbury.
The penny never really dropped, as they say, until I drove east through North Bay where I spotted similar billboards for both their federal and provincial members.
Given my supposed lack of attentiveness (according to my ex wife), I really don’t recall seeing these politically sponsored billboards in previous years.
Regardless if these specific billboards are a new trend or not, I couldn’t help but wonder why these signs were erected or who they were intended for.
As a passerby, and being one of the tens of thousands driving past these signs, I thought, well as much as this may be sort of “nice to know,” it really didn’t affect me either way, therefore, I mustn’t be the target audience. I surmised initially that these billboards were targeting the local constituents, however, upon further reflection, I realized that my summation didn’t really hold water.
I concluded that, had a local voter selected this particular candidate in their last respective election, voters would surely be aware of who won in their riding.
Conversely, had a voter selected a different candidate and lost their vote, guaranteed they would know who the unworthy individual was who was occupying “their” candidate’s seat. Surely, it couldn’t be for the individuals who did not bother to cast a ballot for they, by definition, really don’t care whose photo is on these billboards.
Who then are these advertising billboards for?
If there is one thing I’ve learned in the private sector, it's that before you spend your company’s limited advertising dollars, you had better determine who your target audience was going to be. Even though that sounds so basic and logical, as a retired marketer, I continue to be amazed at how many advertising campaigns are poorly focused or often even misdirected.
The one thing about “windshield time” is that it gets you thinking about things — one of which is how much are these billboards costing taxpayers anyway? A few quick phone calls upon my return revealed that a billboard of this size runs anywhere from $150 to $300 per month depending on its location. Graphics are usually included, providing that one commits to a three- or four-year lease.
A quick search on the web revealed that, currently, there are 351 federal MPs, as well as 751 members elected with the comparable title of MPP, MLA, MNA or MHA representing their respective provinces or territories. Between these two levels of government, there are more than 1,100 elected members in Canada.
When adding in broken lease penalties due to early elections, members changing mid-term, members crossing the flour, and so on, this misguided practice has the potential to cost Canadian tax payers well in excess of $6 million per year with an inherent expenditure commitment of some $25 million over their elected term.
Surely there are more worthy causes where tax dollars could be spent. Perhaps recruiting medical specialists or acquiring medical equipment for some of our remote centers? Funds used locally to minimizing or hopefully eliminate these pilgrimages to large centers seeking medical procedures?
Marcel Gravel
Sudbury