Campaign

Three Elements Define a Campaign

Three factors identify a campaign and distinguish a series of news stories from a series of campaign messages developed by an organization. Also known as the conceptualization model of a campaign, the factors of (1) campaign situation, (2) nature of organization, and (3) traits of the targeted audiences or publics are the few but crucial elements that represent the conceptualization of a campaign.

Any campaign is prompted by a campaign situation, that is, either a crisis affecting the organization or a project developed by the organization. A negative or crisis event can prompt an organization to conduct a campaign to attempt to correct any damage done to persons and the environment and, additionally, to rebuild any damage to the image of the corporation that results from the incident. A proactive, positive project such as giving additional benefits to the employees or sponsoring a fundraising campaign to benefit research into an illness or disease or to call attention to domestic violence also [Page 110]demands a well-thought-out, strategic campaign to get the information out to the affected and interested populations.

The nature of the organization is also a factor in any campaign. A for-profit organization, obviously, exists on profits from sales of its products or services. A not-for-profit organization—for example, a social agency—exists to raise funds from donors and to generate goodwill to benefit its social cause. Political candidates and the organizations supporting them work to garner votes and financial support to successfully support their candidates. Understanding the various natures and characteristics of organizations leads to an understanding of the campaigns that each conducts.

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