Hicks looks for clicks as Gore's mayoral campaign goes digital

Tuesday, 27 September 2022

Team Hokonui mayoral candidate, Ben Bell, on the left, and incumbent Tracy Hicks, agree that there is a digital focus on this year’s mayoral race.

Gore district mayor Tracy Hicks has hired a consultant to help his social media campaign as he seeks his seventh term in the top job.

While Hicks and Team Hokonui candidate Ben Bell have a few of the traditional electoral signs dotted around the district, it’s online where they’re trying to woo voters, with both campaigning on Facebook and Instagram. Team Hokonui also has a Twitter account.

Hicks said he was ‘’up with technology’’ but it took time to post online.

“It’s a bit like anything in terms of an election campaign, you have to make sure that all the bases are covered. I’m across digital platforms, but I’ve decided to get a bit of help in that area,’’ he said.

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Gore mayoral candidate Tracy Hicks responds to Stuff questions during the local body election campaign.

He wouldn’t say who the consultant was that was running the campaign.

“The signs and the newspaper ads are good for name recognition, but the digital side allows you to connect with your audience, you can tell them a story, what your hobbies are and what you care about,’’ he said.

Last week Hicks used social media to publicly decline an invitation to a Team Hokonui meeting about flooding in the district, which was being held on the Queen’s Memorial Day.

Being online also meant there was a risk of being trolled by people who were opposed to his campaign, but he had two or three different people monitoring his platforms, he said.

Gore mayoral candidate Ben Bell responds to Stuff questions during the local body election campaign.

“Certainly there has been one or two people that it’s been hard to work out if they’re real or not, but you treat everyone as you find them.’’

Hicks, who is standing for his seventh term as mayor, said there was a digital presence right across the country in this year’s local body elections.

The Gore district has an aging population and there was a risk that some people would not see digital campaigns because they were not online.

“When I think back to my first campaign, if I didn’t knock on every door it was certainly every second one so that people knew who I was, and there was a real focus on newsprint.

“I don’t know if there is any perfect medium, it’s still about getting out and meeting people.’’

Bell said he was running Team Hokonui’s social media campaigns, with input from other team members.

“I’d say the incumbent has certainly taken a digital focus whereas we’ve tried to sway towards getting out and talking to people,’’ he said.

“Social media is definitely important but newspaper advertising and community engagement is just as important.’’

Team Hokonui was now focussed on encouraging people to vote, he said.

“We don’t care who they vote for, we want voting numbers to increase in the Southland area.’’