Useful campaign accessories:               

Microphone stand

1. Stand with multiple microphone clips: keep photos tidy, stop journalists ‘crowding’ your speaker.
2. Digital camera: good for web use, and for smaller newspapers that don’t have their own photographers or can’t use photo agency pictures. Preferably a Canon or Nikon SLR with an external flash unit.
3. Digital audio recorder: It is a good idea to record any press conference, in case of quotes “out of context”, and also for podcasting.
4. Video camera: There is not very much work involved in putting up a YouTube clip.
5. Name plates: A good idea for press conferences, so photographers can sort out their captions more easily.                

Other ideas:
1. Create a ‘war book’ or election book, of election-focused messages, including positive messages, attack messages and defensive sound-bites to cover difficult issues. This is ideally prepared in advance of the campaign so that key candidates and spokespeople can be familiar with them and repeat them for consistent messaging.
2. Media monitor alerts: Have a system with which you can send SMS alerts to volunteers and supporters alerting them to listen to radio broadcasts – especially those featuring green candidates – and text in with supportive messages.
3. Issue a media notice on the eve of voting about when the campaign’s key individuals will be casting their ballot, so photographers can catch this image for the following day’s newspapers.       

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