Electoral campaign reactivated a ‘dead month’ and moved political souvenir businesses and new ways to promote candidates

Rallies, caravans, walks and concerts. These are some of the typical activities that political parties organize to attract more voters for their candidates who will run in the sectional elections on February 5. And to this political context is added the economic one, since this short period -from January 3 to next February 2- is also an opportunity to start 2023 with an extra income for companies, entrepreneurs and graphic artists.

Posters, t-shirts, caps, flags, key chains, bags and backpacks are some of the traditional souvenirs politicians that this industry provides to politicians, who nevertheless seek to innovate in their way of reaching voters; and one of these novel strategies are the comics.

The campaign for the conquest of votes has rules for the candidates, although it “overflows” from the control of the National Electoral Council

The graphic artist and writer Gabriel Fandiño was in charge of telling the story and work plan of one of the candidates for mayor of the Durán canton. It is not the first time that a politician has hired the services of the illustrator, who has a long career in the media. He also developed a comics with the campaign promises of a candidate for Guayas Prefect as part of the electoral pre-campaign and devised key rings for that candidate. “When he called me he wanted to make the typical key chains, but I told him that he was not taking advantage of a characteristic that makes him unmistakable, his hat, with his silhouette”, says the artist.

Over the comics, which is Fandiño’s specialty, says that the rapprochement with Durán’s candidate took place in November through social networks. “During electoral times, the candidates seek to reach the masses and always look for new forms of communication.” He made three, the first in November and the second and third parts are now distributed in Durán. Other candidates have also contacted him in recent days. The artist highlights that this type of communication allows graphing things that do not yet exist, such as works offered by the candidates.

$85,000 will cost the electoral campaign of each of the candidates for the Citizen Participation Council

Regarding income, it indicates that it does generate an economic revival for entrepreneurs, small businesses or artists by ensuring that the first months of the year are always unprofitable for these sectors. “The issue is strong until December, but January is usually a dead month, so everything that has to do with design, advertising when it is election time and they fall on these dates will always be good.”

Thus, Freddy Ortiz, owner of the Valentino textile company, from the Milagro canton (Guayas), did not send his workers on vacation as he usually does after the end of the year festivities to cover the orders of two candidates who hired him to manufacture T-shirts, caps and flags.

“Normally this time is the deadest of the year, but it was the season. As far as shirts are concerned, there are between 30,000 and 40,000 shirts between two candidates” from Naranjal and Milagro, says Ortiz. They have also received gifts from other provinces, but only plain shirts and in small quantities, from 300 to 500 per order.

It is the third campaign that he has worked with candidates and he says that at this time of the campaign his monthly income grows up to 75% compared to a normal month. “This campaign helps us a lot.”

Last Monday he planned to complete the requests of the candidates and send his staff on vacation -31 people-, to prepare for the school season when they focus on making uniforms.

In this regard, Javier Díaz, executive president of the Association of Textile Industries of Ecuador (Aite), acknowledges that the election campaign season represents an opportunity for many companies in the sector to place more of their products, although there are no official figures on how many businesses are dedicated to this segment and their income.

The textile industry is more concerned about informality than the entry of international brands

According to data from the union, based on the latest figures available from the Superintendence of Companies, in 2021 in Ecuador there were 457 legal entities obliged to report to that authority in the textile and clothing sector, of which 168 are micro (37%), 158 small (35%). 95 medium-sized (21%) and 36 large companies (8%).

According to statistics collected by the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC), around 158 thousand people work directly in textile and clothing companies nationwide.

Meanwhile, the offer of these services is varied on social networks and the prices are more affordable the more quantities are purchased. For example, in the case of t-shirts, prices range from $1.80 per unit (for a thousand t-shirts) to $2.30 per unit (for orders of 100 t-shirts). Other products such as jugs, cups, canvases, balls, calendars, vinyls, balls are also offered.

Mugs, for example, can be found for $3 per dozen if you buy a dozen, $2.80 per unit for two dozen, up to $1.80 per unit if you order 500 mugs.

And in this campaign condoms have even been seen souvenir. A candidate for the Prefecture of Azuay included them in the promotion of his candidacy with the message “we are interested in your security.”

Complaint for ‘unfair’ competition

José Quintero, owner of Eureka Estudio Creativo, also believes that the electoral campaign represents an income opportunity for companies in the textile and printing sector, since in the case of his business eight candidates from different provinces hired his services, especially for clothing of t-shirts, although the company’s portfolio includes more products such as brochures, posters, among others.

But he comments on the problems faced by some businesses in the sector, especially micro and small ones, for which it is difficult to compete with large companies that, according to him, monopolize the strongest candidates with better prices due to the number of machinery they operate.

As an example, he says that he charges $1.60 for each white graphic T-shirt over 1,000 units, but large companies charge $0.90.

“There is no way to compete. The entrepreneur does not have enough machinery. In the particular case of t-shirts, I have a production limit, I cannot exceed that limit because I will not comply,” Quintero explains, adding that they also have to deal with unfair competition from some businesses that steal electricity, specifically in this month, so that their machines do not pay for consumption and constitute a “huge savings”, while small establishments pay up to $100 for two machines.

Despite these disadvantages, the owner of Eureka Estudio Creativo assures that “something is boosting the economy”, noting that this month the work in his business has grown by 60%, although income is not on par and only increased up to 15%. (YO)