The Town of Carrboro has a reputation as one of the most progressive communities in the South. A majority of Carrboro residents share values like inclusivity, environmental sustainability, and community engagement.
I joined Stephanie Wade's campaign as the lead creative and campaign manager.
This was Wade's first political election of any kind, but her 20+ years working with the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill made this hardly her first time working within a government system. And while she ultimately did not land one of the three seats available on the town council, she earned over 10% of the vote (2% more than projected by our team).
My role was much more than providing branded campaign materials. I canvassed 1,000+ homes, represented our candidate at fundraising events, coordinated weekly Meet & Greet events, and worked the polls every day for two weeks. The job was demanding but meaningful. I don't see myself working another political campaign, but I am very open to working for a brand focused on the environment and/or sustainability.
The Stephanie Wade for Carrboro Town Council logo I created on one of our volunteer shirts.
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Challenges.
1. How can we establish our candidate's credibility and vision in the community, given her lack of political experience?
2. What strategies can we use to differentiate our candidate’s message of sustainable and responsible development from other candidates?
3. How should we allocate campaign resources (like digital presence, community outreach, and events) to build a strong, approachable image?
4. How can we effectively highlight the risks of irresponsible construction in the context of flooding and environmental compromise, to appeal to voters who prioritize neighborhood and ecological preservation?
Stephanie Wade for Carrboro homepage scroll through.
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Campaign inclusivity.
Over 8% of Carrboro residents identify as Hispanic or Latino and some are not fluent in, or speak only a little, English. With the help of some of our native Spanish-speaking friends translating our messaging, we were able to include a greater amount of people in our online presence and canvassing efforts.
Stephanie Wade for Carrboro homepage in Spanish scroll through.
Stephanie Wade for Carrboro door hangers in English and Spanish.
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Community outreach.
Our campaign relied heavily on donations from friends and family, of course, and also the residents we met at our weekly neighborhood Meet & Greets.
Every weekend from August 26 to October 23, 2023, I coordinated times and places for our candidate to meet with residents in different neighborhoods throughout Carrboro to listen to town concerns and bring awareness to our campaign. These events were co-hosted by our candidate Stephanie Wade and candidate April Mills, who shared similar viewpoints on town policies.
This was my favorite part of working the campaign. Being invited into residents' homes and getting to know the diverse community of Carrboro allowed me to really see the impact our campaign had on people.
Stephanie Wade for Carrboro events page scroll through.
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Ads and collateral.
Majority of our campaign funds went towards yard signs, postcard mailers, and online ads run by the INDY Week. The website ads ran for two weeks, while the posted social ads remain on the INDY Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts indefinitely.
Digital ads run by the INDY Week on all socials and their online newspaper.
Postcard mailer.
ADA green and campaign green yard signage.
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Project details.
Client
Stephanie Wade
Role
Campaign Manager
Creative Lead
Year
2023
Services
Branding
Web design
Digital marketing
Print materials
Campaign collateral
Event graphics
