Messaging and Win Number

(Making dreams come true!) Bert Ralston Vox Populi Communications, LLC

The Strategic Process

• Initial Assessment/Research • Strengths and Weaknesses • Assumptions • Strategic Hypothesis • Consensus • Strategic Statement • Strategic Grid • Unifying Message

Initial Assessment/Research

• • • • • • • • • • • Maps and Geography District History and General Narrative Demographics Election Data/Voter Turnout District Economy Centers of influence Party Organization Political History —Prior Elections Community Profiles District Media State/National Environment – Impact of special coalitional groups and organizations – Economic conditions – Key issues – Other uncontrollable issues

The Candidacies Strengths and Weaknesses

• “Campaigns are about maximizing your candidate’s strengths and neutralizing your weaknesses while neutralizing your opponent’s strengths and exploiting their weaknesses.” Ed Goes —The Tarrance Group

Strengths and Weaknesses

• A strength can also be a weakness • Assessment must be done objectively • Areas to evaluate – Personal – Business – As a candidate – Past campaigns – Promises made/kept – Resources/Finances

Key Assumptions

• Assumptions must address the following key points: – Voter turnout – Political environment – Issues Matrix – Fundraising Capabilities – Impact of other races – Opponent(s)’ strategy – Your base vote

Key Assumptions

• Campaign strategy is based on a series of assumptions —if your assumptions are wrong —so is your strategy, so… take the time to write them down!

The Strategic Hypothesis

• At this point a strategic hypothesis should be starting to take shape from the initial assessment.

• Write this down—It is now time to draft a first cut strategy statement for both you and that of your opponent.

Opponent's Weaknesses +Candidate's Strengths District History + Political Environment =Reason

What must strategy be capable of answering?

• Who could/should vote for you and Why • How do you prevent the opponent from ultimately reaching 50% + 1 • What image will you project of your candidate —how do you want him/her to be perceived • What image will you paint of your opponent —what image do you want to allow him/her to develop

The Strategic Grid

You on Yourself Your Opponent on you You on your opponent Your opponent on Her/Himself

The unifying Message

• Now that you know who you are going to talk to, you must decide what you will say to the total universe of voters • Campaigns are about contrast, whether positive or negative, your message must contrast at some point with what your opponent is saying • Name ID is elemental, no one cares about what you are if they do not know who you are • What sort of candidate image are you trying to develop?

• Pick issues that help to portray that image • YOUR MESSAGE IS NOT BEING DELIVERED IN A VACUUM

Tactics

• You know who you want to talk to… • You know what you want to say… • Now, how do you get the message out?

– Paid Media—Television, Cable, Radio, Direct Mail, Print, New Media.

– Earned Media—Press Releases, Ed Boards, “Events”, Debates, Town meetings.

– Organizational Contact—Phone Banks, D2D, Yard signs, Lit drops, Special events, Coalition development.

Tactics (Key metrics)

• All tactics require resources—financial and personal • Success must be defined per each tactic in advance • Tactics must be measured on an ongoing basis • Tactics must reach selected target groups • • Have the most effective tactics reached saturation before new ones are added?

A great strategy, with poorly implemented tactics, will lose.

• Establishing your win number – Turnout assessment based upon previous elections – Ballot placement – Size of race – Number of candidates

Building the Campaign Plan

From the Strategic Process

• Political Environment • Strengths and Weaknesses • Assumptions • Strategic Grid • Unifying Message

Building the Campaign Plan

From the Planning Process

• Candidate's Schedule • Paid Media Plan • Earned Media Plan • Organization • Coalitions • Timetable • Fundraising • Budget • Volunteer Program • Vote Goals/Targeting • Voter ID Program • Absentee/Early Voting Plan • Election Day plan

Vox Populi Communications, LLC Bert Ralston [email protected]

904-234-9623