STRATEGIC CAMPAIGN
PLANNING & IMPLEMENTATION
Adapted from Strategic Campaign Planning & Implementation. Assemblyman Joseph D. Morelle, Chair; Monroe
County Democratic Committee. April 2008
Political Campaigns
The Art of communicating
effectively (persuasively) and
efficiently with a given electorate
in order to get enough of them to
act in such a way (register, turn
out, vote for, vote against, etc.) as
to produce a victory for a question
or candidate.
Campaigns Are Lost
Because…….of a
Failure to
Communicate!
Campaign Plan:
the Rational Framework
vs.
the W.A.G.
The Big Six
1. What are we going to do?
2. Why are we doing it?
3. When are we going to do it?
4. Where are we going to do it?
5. Who’s going to do it?
6. How much does it cost?
Develop Your Strategy
How you will win the election?
Define Your Goals
1. Persuading undecided
2. Keep support you have
3. Turnout your support
4. Disregard those who are not with
you
Identify Your Message Delivery
System (Tactics)
1.The candidate
2.Other people
3.Mail
4.Phones
5.Print
6.Display
7.Broadcast
Manage Scarce Campaign
Resources
1.Time
2.Money
3.People
Who’s out there?
-
Demographics
What’s their politics?
-
Targeting
What do they care about? -
Polling
Who are the candidates? -
Gold & Skeletons
What’s the message?
-
Theme
Demographics: Know Your
Audience – Who’s out there?
-
Polling
Voter Files
Census Data
Marketing Reports
Centers of Influence
Disciplined Observation
Targeting - Helps to…….
1. Determine Tendencies
2. Answer the question “where” to:
o
o
o
o
o
Arrange candidate appearances
Place Lawn Signs
Send Mail
Canvass
GOTV [get out the vote]
3. Directs scarce resources to target groups where
there is the greatest potential for success:
o
o
o
o
o
Gender
Age
Voting Frequency
Registration
Other
Targeting
• Targeting Task #1 – Determine Votes Needed
to Win
o Using like years, determine projected turnout
o Multiply current registration by projected turnout
percentage
o Divide by 2 and add 1 = Votes Needed to Win
Example:
Total Registered Voters in District: 10,000 x Average
Turnout: 53% = 5,300; 5,300  2 = 2,650 (+1) =
2,651 Votes Needed to win
Targeting
• Targeting Task #2 – Find the
Persuadable Voters
Subgroups within the Target:
oBlanks/Independents
oRepublican Females
oRepublican Seniors (over 65)
Targeting
Targeting Task #3 – Develop the Target
Group
(Getting to 2,651)
Total Enrollment:
Blanks 1,000
Reps 5,000
Dems 4,000
Likely Dem Turnout multiplied by projected
vote % = # of voters: 2,120 x 85% =
1,802
Likely Rep & Blank Turnout in top 15
persuadable EDs: 2,485 x 35% = 869
1,802 + 869 = 2,671
Issues & Attitudes - What do they care
about?
o Sources
1.
2.
3.
4.
News Stories
Letters to the Editor
Editorials
Media “polls”
o Elected Officials
1. Communications
2. Opinions
o Validated Observations
1. Candidate conversations with voters
2. Campaign conversations - e.g. “The big issue is taxes”
Confirmations:
o Attendance at budget hearing
o School budget referenda
o Tax Grievances
Candidate & Opposition Research
Strengths & Weaknesses
The Single Most Important Ingredient – Accuracy
o Applies to you and your opponent
1. Unpopular votes and acts
2. Popular votes and acts
3. Hypocritical Voters
Candidate & Opposition Research
Strengths & Weaknesses
o Effective / Ineffective Performance
1. Attendance
2. Promised vs. Delivered
3. “Gots” List – what has been gotten by candidate?
o Personal conduct that relates to public
performance
1. Tax payments
2. Voting History
3. Business Practices
What Is The Message?
Message = Theme
o Message (Theme)
o Strategy (Goals)
o Tactics
o Plan
What Is The Theme?
1. Central Idea around which all communication
revolves
2. The test you want voters to apply to the election
3. The rationale for your candidacy – why they should
vote for you in this election
4. Implies why they should not vote for your opponent
Things That Are Not a Message or Theme
o Buzzwords
o Slogans
“Time For a Change”
“Are You Ready for Nicoletti”
“Keep on Zimmering”
o Issues
-
Jobs / Economy
Education
Health Care
Taxes
Crime
Memorable [& not so memorable] Themes
Are you better off than you were four years ago? –
Ronald Reagan
Mario Cuomo, Too Liberal Too Long –
Putting People First –
George Pataki
Bill Clinton
Let America Be America Again –
John Kerry
Her only special interest is you – Gail Schaffer
We can do better –
JFK
Characteristics of a Good Theme
1.Clear – Don’t make the voter think about
what you really mean
2.Concise – Should be expressed in a single
sentence, or a short paragraph
3.Compelling – It should speak to the values
and concerns of the voters
4.Contrasting – It should lay out the differences
between you and your opponent
5.Credible – It must be believable; you need to
demonstrate the theme
Develop Your Campaign Message
Step-by-Step
Demographic profile of your constituency
Attitude profile of the voters
Coalition Profile (Target Group)
Make a list of you and your opponent’s strengths
and challenges as candidates
Example
Clinton ’96
Dole ’96
Strengths
Strengths
•Youth
•Compassionate/Caring
•White House Experience
•Economic Improvement
•Certain Issues
•Persuasive
Challenges
•Slick, corner cutter, not believable
•Lack of moral compass
•Certain Issues
•Inconsistent, lack of core belief
•Lack of military experience
•Legislative Skills
•Governmental Experience
•Integrity
•Certain Issues
•Military Heroism
Challenges
•Age
•Mean image
•Insider
•Certain Issues
•Legislative compromiser/Flip flops
on issues/inconsistent record
Developing Your Campaign
Message
Step-by-Step
Draw lines of distinction between
candidates “Mirror Opposite”
strengths and challenges and “Stand
Alone” strengths and challenges
Craft Message
Test Message: Questions to Ask
Does Your Message Answer the
Following Questions…
Why does your candidate want
the job, and what will (s)he do
with it?
Why is your candidate better
than the opposition for the job?
What issues support the need
for your candidate’s election?
Test the Message
1. Appeal to the targeted groups
2. Full advantage to mirror opposites
3. Unique message? Too generic? Is it big
enough, loud enough, and obvious
enough?
4. Is your candidate a credible messenger
for the message?
5. Does it help to inoculate your
weaknesses?
Summary
1. The theme pervades every part of your plan.
2. It evolves from the broad pictures you have
developed of your candidate, the voting
public, and your opposition.
3. It should demonstrate your candidate’s
strengths contrasted with your opponent's
weaknesses.
4. It should speak to the values of your voters.
5. It is the rationale for your campaign.
One Last Word on
Message…
Stay on message:
if it’s not on message,
it’s off!
Strategy
“Strategy is the art of
making use of time and
space.”
- Napoleon Bonaparte
Strategy
1.Themes answer the question: Why are
you running?
2.Strategy answers the question: How will
you win?
Broad strokes defining what your candidate
needs to do in order to win the campaign. Using
a combination of electoral results, turnout, and
polling data, try to determine those actions that
will increase votes for your candidate.
• Each of these actions is a “goal”
• Collectively these goals are your strategy.
Strategy Points Used Most Often In
Winning Campaigns
1. Targeting the base vote plus a given percentage
of other “persuadable” voters
2. Creating a clear contrast between you and your
opponent
3. Building a diverse coalition of voters into a single
voting block
4. Overwhelming the opposition with campaign
activities
5. Creating a negative image of your opponent
6. Creating a positive image of your candidate
7. Building an organization capable of delivering a
significant number of votes
8. Dividing voters along ideological lines
Tactics
“Good tactics can save
even the worst strategy.
Bad tactics will destroy
even the best strategy.”
- General George S. Patton
Tactics
Mail Plan
Phone Plan
Walk Plan
Earned/Paid Media
Message Vehicles In Low Visibility Campaigns
1. In Person:
o The Candidate
o The candidate’s spouse, adult children, parents, siblings
o Volunteers
o Surrogates
2. On the Phone:
o The candidate
o The candidate’s spouse, adult children, parents, siblings
o Volunteers
o Surrogates
3. Direct Mail
4. Display Advertising
Delivering the Message
1. Follow the plan
2. Work from election day backwards
o Generally focus on persuadables (swing districts)
and blank’s closest to election day
o Seniors and Democrats early on
3. Stay on message
4. Make it easy on the voter
Candidate Activity
Door-to-Door: Maximize the
Impact
Candidate Coffees
Forums & Debates
Direct Mail
1. Follow the Plan
2. Work from Election Day backwards




Clearly state
Dominate
Illustrate
Validate
Direct Mail
3. Direct the mailing to the target group
or segments within the target group.
4. Types of Mail:
 Target Group Mail
 Segments of the Target Group
 Friend to Friend
 Interest Group Mail (seniors, vets, etc.)
Sample Direct Mail Plan Matrix
Piece
Target
Topic
Count
Cost
(HH’s)
Bio
Seniors
District
Wide (D, R, I,
B, WF, C)
All 65+
Prime
Democrats
Democrat
s
Education Semi-Prime
Dems,
Republican
Women
Jobs
Ds, Bs, Is,
WFs
Write
Print Date
Date
Mail
Date
Introduction
4,883
$2002.03
10/4
10/7
10/10
Healthcare /
Quality of
Life
1,147
$470.27
10/12
10/15
10/16
2,165
$887.65
10/20
10/23
10/24
2, 421
$992.61
10/23
10/26
10/28
$1122.99
10/28
10/31
11/1
Democratic
Values
Children /
Education
Economic
2,739
Development
Total
$5475.55
Direct Mail Tips
1. Research tells us the average American
receives more than 1,000 messages a day.
2. Current research tells us that new messages
take up to seven repetitions to break through the
clutter.
3. A message is only conveyed if it is read and
you’re competing with lots of other messages so
design is important
4. Communications research tells us 4 out of 5
readers don’t go beyond photo captions and
headlines
Direct Mail Tips
5. Five photos every candidate should have:
 Portrait / headshot
 Family
 Community Service
 People / Constituents
 Message
Direct Mail Tips
6. Get the message in the headline
7. Keep it brief
8. Avoid overstating
9. Fight boredom
10. Seed the mailing list
Mail Sample 1
Mail Sample 2
Display Advertising For Local
Low Visibility Campaigns
JUST LAWN SIGNS!!!
No Billboards
No Bumper Strips
No Shirts
No Pens
No Note Pads
The Phone
Canvass
Voter Identification & GOTV
1. Call the target group
2. Start the night the first
direct mail piece arrives
3.
Determine the number
of calling hours needed
to sweep target
HH’s x 65% = Calling Hours Needed
Average 15 Calls Per Hr
3070 HH’s x 65%
= 133 Hrs
Average 15 Calls Per Hr
Divided by 2 Hrs
133 = 67
2
Divided by the number of days until
election eve
67
12
= 5.5
The Phone Canvass
Mark the sheets simply yes, no, or
undecided
2. Follow-up options for undecided
voters
 Note from the volunteer
 Late mailing to all undecided voters
3. Start with Democrats
4. Finish with Republicans and Blanks
1.
GOTV
1.
2.
3.
4.
Robo Calls
Election Eve lit drop
Call only ID’d favorable voters
Blind pull unidentified Dems
only if canvass produces near
70% favorable rates
5. Coordinating with Democratic
Poll Inspectors
Managing Campaign Resources
1. Time
 Scarcest resource
 Work backwards
 Match campaign communications with voter’s
attention and decision making
2. Money - Budgeting
 Develop from the plan
 Cost out all campaign activities
 Ideal vs. Alternative
 Develop fundraising plan and schedule to match
3. People
 Develop from the plan
 Estimate how many “volunteer” hours needed for
each campaign activity
 Develop plan for recruiting and managing people
When Do Voters Start
Paying Attention?
When Do They Decide
Who They Will Vote For?
When Do Voters Decide?
1. Pay attention / decide early
 Seniors
 More informed voters
 More partisan & straight ticket voters
2. Pay attention / decide late
 Voters under age 35, college students
 Less-informed voters
 Blanks, ticket splitters
 Absentees
Election Day
There is only one decisive victory: the last."
"
- Karl von Clausewitz, On War…