Badges have always had a political dimension. After all, they were invented in the USA for election purposes, to support a candidate. Later, trade unions took up badges, and their use in demonstrations reached a peak in the 1970s.

In recent years, trade unions in the major industrialised countries have experienced a decline as alternative movements have emerged to supplant them. Since 1985, trade union membership has halved on average across OECD countries. Pandemic readiness has greatly increased the need for workforce training and protection. Some of these needs are immediate, such as better worker health protections during the pandemic. Other long-lasting but still urgent needs are equipping workers with the skills that will be demanded in the labor market in coming years.
Thanks to the pandemics that have swept the world, there is a coming a massive resurgence of unions in many countries. Young people are realising that they don’t have much power in their workplace and this could be the end of a trend that has lasted for over 30 years, spanning all developed nations. In some countries, we are already seeing the first signs of unions making a come back.

New Zealand’s labour market is a powerful example of how the power of the free market can be used to re-balance the scales in favour of workers. The country has deregulated and de-unionised its labour market with private sector unions banned and anti-trust laws turned on their head. Meanwhile, it has led the way in terms of wage regulation with highly progressive minimum wage policies.  In this new era, some unions are evolving to meet global and local challenges and the changing needs of workers. Germany’s IG Metall, for example, has opened up to self-employed members.

One thing is certain: with the return of trade unions we will see a return of demonstrations. If you run a trade union, you’ll then be wondering how to communicate effectively in a post covid world. Here are some tips:

Define you demonstration purpose

The first step in organizing an event is determining your purpose for it. Once you understand the purpose of your event, you can hone in on details such as what kind of theme to use, what it’s going to be called, and even what color scheme to use to ptomote your demonstration!

Your website is critical

Your website will be one of your primary touchpoints with potential demonstrators. It needs to contain key information and convince people. Your website is essential to the success of your event.

Your Website Should Include:
Time and Date of the demonstration
Location
FAQs

Create an email marketing plan that stimulates potential demonstrators.

Email marketing is a powerful tool in the hands of a good communicators: use it to create unique content.

The right email campaign can ensure you get the Largest and most relevant audience for your demonstration – it’s one way of building a buzz around your conference or meeting. But the effectiveness of email marketing is proven. It’s also one way of getting registrants engaged and talking before, during, and after your meeting or demonstration.

Use social media to promote your demonstration

Today, social media is much more than just a promotional tool. It has become an essential part of today’s marketing strategy. Taking advantage of social media is easy once you’ve got everything set up. The best way to ensure that your social media activity has a positive impact is to post when your demographic is likely to be online. If you have a presence on all platforms, then you’ll want to promote on all of them. However, if your demographic trends towards using Instagram, don’t feel the need to promote your event on every platform.

Where Will You Promote?
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn

Paid promotion

You’ve got a big demonstration coming up. Focus on paid promotion in the beginning stages and you’ll be able to reach more people. Successful paid promotional campaigns are extremely effective when using targeted campaigns to reach the right people at the right time. Paid promotion is an effective strategy for events that are targeting more broad audiences.

Physical promotion of the demonstration

Posters have the power to rally a group around a simple phrase or affective image, spreading a message. Protest art has existed for many years and can be found on nearly every continent. Posters are an important way for people to speak up and share their opinions with others in a public space. They’re also powerful tools that can energize groups to take action against injustices like discrimination, harassment, and environmental destruction. Posters can inspire people to take action around social issues by spreading awareness about important causes.

Badges: You have the right to protest and freedom of speech. No matter what kind of issue you are protesting you can wear your button on a t-shirt, a jacket or necklace. Spread the message by wearing your pin or handing them out! Button badges are the ideal and perfectly suited addition to your next protest.

Out tip: make sure to use one of our packs. We have designed packages that include everything needed for creating amazing badges to promote your demonstration.

Safety first

Your demonstration is coming up, and you want to give it a thorough review. Use your stakeholders’ feedback throughout the process — include their questions, concerns, and needs — then present that info in the final plan for your demonstration. The more input you receive beforehand, the smoother your plan will go once it’s unveiled.