Campaign Strategies

CAMPAIGNING MAY SEEM to be no more than a simple race for power, but there is a massive amount of work and strategy behind the scenes of every electoral race. There are no set guidelines that must be followed for a successful campaign, but there are common strategies that have been used in hundreds of elections nationwide. Those looking to campaign are likely to focus on creating a campaign committee along with a theme and message, then they will focus on communication, their message, slogans, recognition, and most importantly, fundraising.

The first step in a campaign, besides the initial interest in running, is setting up a campaign team. Campaign committees serve two main functions: they act as a support group for both the campaign as a whole, and for the candidate; and they act as the initial source of knowledge and resources for the campaign. This group has the inside intelligence, and generally runs the campaign, though still at the behest of the candidate. Organizationally, the committee is split across heads of other subcommittees within the campaign. By way of example, one person usually heads up the fundraising effort. Beyond the campaign committee, every campaign must have an efficient treasurer. A strong campaign manager is also a part of this group. The campaign manager is the candidates' “right-hand man,” manager, and (depending on the size of the campaign effort) may be in charge of the master schedule. The campaign manager is the person with the most responsibilities and the biggest time commitment to the campaign. Possibly one of the most mobile of the members is the volunteer coordinator. The campaign team is willing to give up their time answering phones, going door-to-door, and completing any other jobs for which the candidate does not have time.

The most important aspects of a campaign are the theme and the campaign plan. The theme answers the question, “Why do I want to win this?” and the campaign plan elaborately decribes how to win. The theme is normally based on the campaigner's initial reason for wanting to run for office. For example, if one is running for office to lower taxes, this would become the central, unifying aspect of the campaign's policy initiative, and become identified with the candidate's efforts in a critical way. The message is created around the theme and is the most marketed aspect of the campaign, alongside the prospective office holder. Once the theme is decided and the message is written, the campaign committee then begins to lay out the plan. A plan consists of a profile and demographics of the district, background history on candidates and opponents, public opinion, communication and grassroots strategies, and lastly a fundraising plan. Each of these aspects of the plan is crucial to the strategy of the campaign and its smooth functioning.

One of the most important aspects of a campaign is strong communication targeting the voting public. It is important for the public to know the message. Contact with voters is critical, whether through speeches, events at factory gates, or door-to-door greetings. Whatever the venue, the message is crucial in vote-getting. Ideas should be kept short and simple. Messages and speeches need to focus on appealing to the largest number of people. In order to help relate the importance of issues to voters, it is a good idea to connect them back to real people or real situations.

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