For some groups, at least, buttons are better and stickers are superior. Here's why:
- They are a lot cheaper than t-shirts.
- One size “fits” all.
- It’s easy to transfer them from raincoat to sweater and back. Whether you are outside or in, you will always be able to educate and inform.
- They can “double” the size of your group. (Here’s how: During lunchtime, grab a couple of the more extroverted members of your group, a bag of extra buttons, and visit the cafeteria. Here you will find a lot of people with nowhere to go and nothing to do. Assign one section of the cafeteria to each person in your mini-group. If you guys hurry, you can inspire hundreds of diners to wear a button in solidarity with your group.)
Here are my secrets to successfully using buttons and stickers.
- It’s best if your group’s members wear one button/sticker on their front sides, and one on their back sides. This way, people will see your message whether you all are coming or going.
- Make sure the buttons/stickers are large enough so that people can identify your group from a distance, say a couple hundred feet.
- Make sure people can read your group’s name and message from a distance – for instance, in a hearing room, the distance from your seat to where your senator is sitting.
- Be prepared to accommodate people unwilling to wear a pin or sticker. Have a hole punch and string at the ready so that you can transform stickers and pins into lanyards.
- Carry/wear extra buttons, pins, and stickers so that you can share them with lawmakers, their staffs, and other potential supporters.
