The ALDC Campaigner Awards 2012 were again sponsored by Midshires and Riso.
They were presented at the ALDC AGM held in Brighton at Federal confrerence by Veonica German – President of ALDC and Martin Horwood MP chair of the Local Election Campaign committee.Overall Winner – Portsmouth
We liked this because:
- They monitored and stuck to their ambitious campaign plan
- They maintained a high standard of literature
- They did not wait till April but genuinely campaigned all year round
Best Focus Winner – St Helens
We liked this because:
- It rebutted Labour’s Lies
- Strong issues
- Third party confirmation
Joint Runners up Bolton and Worthing
Best Innovation Winner – Cambridge
We liked this because it targeted and further localised focus.
PagePlus has the under-used ability to mailmerge not just text, but also photos, a feature Cambridge we have used to merge in a picture of the candidate into student literature for pigeon holes.
It had mulitple variations with differnent editions for shared housing residents, three different variations on one story for: Lib Dems & Greens; Council house occupants; everyone else and two different bar charts: One for Lib Dems and Tories (“It’s so close!” to encourage turnout) and one for everyone else (“Conservatives can’t win here” to stop people thinking they have to vote to keep a Tory out)
Runner up Swindon Best Community Campaign Winner- Leeds
We liked this because
- It responded to an issue raised by constituents
- It involved different media imaginatively
- It addressed a group we had thought “too difficult” and made a real difference
Runner up NW Leicestershire
Best By-Election Campaign Winner – Brent 
We liked this because
- It had clear and consistent messaging
- It went beyond traditional Focuses and used ‘push canvassing’ and a local media strategy to deliver our messages.
- It used social media such as Twitter and Facebook as well as more traditional means of communication to encourage help
Runner up Calderdale Best Ward Campaign Winner – Meon Valley
Boarhunt and Southwick ward was a Lib Dem GAIN from Conservative in 2012 .We liked this because
- It did not reinvent the wheel
- It kept if fun
- It focussed on postal votes
Runner up – Fife (Ward 10: Burtisland, Kinghorn, Auchertool & Western Kirkcaldy)