CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT
AND MESSAGE DELIVERY
“Winning with Women 2014”
International Republican Institute
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
Workshop Outline
Defining Your Motive
 Developing Your Message
 Targeting Your Audience
 Delivering Your Message

2
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
Step One: Defining Your Motive
o Your motive for running for office defines your
message
o Your message is the primary tool to winning your
election
o Your message tells the voter what you want to
achieve
WHO I am
2. WHY I am running
3. WHAT I will do
1.
3
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
Step 2: Developing Your Message
Attributes of a strong campaign message:
1.
Issue-based
2.
Creates a Solution
3.
Credible
4.
Stirs emotion
5.
Short
6.
Creates a Brand
7.
Repetitive
4
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
1. Issue-based Messaging
o Based on issues important to your voters
o Utilizes survey research and focus groups
Example: 70% of voters in Bamenda are
concerned about access to clean water.
o
Targets a specific audience
Example: In 95% of Bamenda households,
women are responsible for locating clean water
sources and transporting it to their homes.
5
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
2. Creates a Solution
o Offers a solution to the identified issue
o Shows how that solution is better than the
alternative or status quo
Example: Candidate Enni creates a campaign
message based on bringing clean water to
Bamenda. She promises to build a well in the
city.
Once the well is built, women will no longer
have to walk two miles to neighboring Yaounde
6
to collect water.
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
3. Credible
o
Does not over-promise
o
A message that is not credible will be ignored
Not Credible: Candidate Enni promises to give
every household a car so they can drive to
Yaounde to collect all the water they want.
7
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
4. Stirs Emotion
o A strong message makes the voter feel important:
that you are running for them, not you
o It takes the issue and makes it personal
Example: Candidate Enni tells women voters
that her campaign promise is based on her
concern that often the women are robbed and
harassed as they walk to the neighboring
village to collect clean water. She believes they
should not have to suffer when trying to
provide for their family’s well-being.
8
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
5. Short
o People have short attention spans
•
o
Example of an “elevator speech”
Make your message clear:
Yes or no
• For or against
•
o
Make your message memorable so the voters
remember it at the poll:
•
“Hope,” “Change,” “Yes We Can!” – Obama
Presidential Campaign 2008
9
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
6. Creates a Brand
A brand identifies you as a candidate
o It is an “instant reminder” of:
• Who you are
• What you stand for
• Where you are going socially, politically
o It is simple and memorable
o It utilizes logos to create a visual connection
o
10
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
7. Repetitive
o Repetition builds familiarity, which in turn helps
build trust and credibility
o The Rule of Seven: a voter needs to be “touched” by
your message at least seven times
• “Touching” is communicating your campaign
message to a voter
• Can be through verbal communication or written
materials
11
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
Step 3: Targeting your audience
o Your audience is anyone who hears your message
o You need to develop the right message for the right
audience
o Targeting focuses on how many votes are needed to
win—and which segment of the population is likely
to provide those votes
o Targeting is important to maximize resources
12
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
Step 4: Message Delivery
Once you have developed your message and defined
your target audience, it’s time to deliver it
o Characteristics of good communication skills:
• How you look
• How you sound
• What you say
o
First impressions are formed in less than 30
seconds. Once formed- they are hard to change!
13
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
How you look:




Body language
 Natural, good posture
Composure
 Calm, no negative reactions to audience questions
Facial expression
 Natural, calm
Eye contact with audience
 Attentive, not distracted
How you sound:

Vocal reinforcement
 Natural, clear voice
 Confident but not aggressive
14
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
What you say:
 Stick to your message
 Do not get sidetracked
 Address opponents by using transitions
The biggest trap a candidate can fall into is
getting tired of repeating the same message many
times a day. Do not fall into it! Stay on message.
Repetition is the key to success.
15
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
What Happens
People disagree
with you
Acknowledgment



People ask
a question you
don’t know

Transition
I appreciate your
position
I can see where you are
coming from
Your point is well taken

I don’t have that
information



You should
also know…
Let me add…
For example…
but I can tell
you
Number one rule of message delivery: do not let
yourself get distracted from your message
16
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
Message Delivery Opportunities

All campaigns will offer an array of opportunities to deliver
your message:
•
individual (door to door)
•
small groups (holding a tea or coffee)
•
large public forums (candidate debates)
•
press (radio and TV interviews)
•
and social media (twitter or Facebook)

Candidates need to adapt their delivery slightly to each
opportunity

But your motivation and message will stay the same
17
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
Small versus Large Forums: the similarities



The purpose is the same: stick to your message!
Focus on how you look, how you sound, what you say
Do not let your nerves overtake you
Tip:




utilize eye contact to minimize the size of the crowd.
Make eye contact with one person as you say each point of
your message.
The direct eye contact will focus your attention on the
person versus the crowd.
It will also give the crowd the positive perception you
18
are trying to relate individually to them.
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
Large Forums

The main challenge is to maintain control of the dialogue

Group dynamics can be difficult to manage
Tips for Q&A sessions:

Always thank the questioner for their question

Maintain your message utilizing the transition tips

Answer the question you want to answer by paraphrasing
the question

Avoid falling into the trap of confrontation

Be disciplined in your points and answers
19
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
Social Media
 Sharing information and ideas in a virtual setting
 Facebook and twitter
 Effective for breaking through media bias or barriers
 Cheapest and fastest way to share information
Tips for using social media:
 This should not be your primary message delivery tool; it
should be used to complement other opportunities
 This is part of your targeting strategy: who is using social
media? Can it be used to target new audiences?
 If you would not say it in front of a crowd, don’t say it online
The virtual world never forgets: once you put it out
there, it will stay there!
20
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
Women Candidates in a Male-dominated Field
 Women in Indonesia are 50.14% of the population
 122,000,000 women in the country
 Majority of voters
Tips for women:
 Confidence; you represent the majority
 Do not try to be part of the boy’s club
 Control your emotions
 You are a leader already: draw on the strengths of your role
as a wife and a mother
 You have a message advantage: you can take the personal
and relate it to the public
21
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY

Keys to successful message delivery:
• Passion
• Preparation
• Practice
• Positive Perception
• Proper Control
22
CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS
MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
This program was brought to you by:
The International Republican Institute (IRI)
www.iri.org
With funding from:
23