The Campaignguy Blog

DO NOT SKIP THIS BLOG POST! Not every voter is "your" voter. The key to winning an election is knowing who the voters are in your district, understanding your natural "base" of supporters, who thew "swing" voters are (and what issues they care about), and the cohort of voters who will likely not support you (for reasons of policy, party, etc.).  Why is targeting important? I have consulted on numerous political campaigns over the years.  There are four limited resources on a campaign: time, information, money and people.  The first is time.  Time is a resource that cannot be created.  You know exactly how many seconds there are between this moment and the close of polls on election day.  Throughout all of the campaigns I have managed or consulted, I have met many eager candidates who pledged that they will knock on every door in the district.   Well, unless the district is very tiny, or you have superhuman powers akin to Santa Claus, the likelihoo...

A campaign message isn’t just a slogan—it’s the core of your campaign. It defines why you’re running and why voters should support you. If you want to win, you need a compelling, memorable message that resonates with voters. What Makes a Great Campaign Message? It’s Simple & Clear: Your message should be easy to understand in one sentence. It’s Relevant: It should address the issues that matter most to voters. It’s Memorable: A strong message sticks with people long after they hear it. It Sets You Apart: It should highlight what makes you the best candidate. Let's look at the 2024 race for President of the United States in which the 45th President Donald Trump ran against then-Vice President Kamala Harris. The video below, titled "Together" is an excellent example of President Trump's message.  It is clear, hopeful and has a message that was consistent throughout his entire campaign: As a contrast, the Harris campaign, that had the apparent advantage o...

Winning candidates don’t just talk about policies—they tell a story. A strong campaign narrative connects with voters on an emotional level, making them feel like they’re part of something bigger.   An effective campaign narrative will also humanize the candidate so that voters and supporters can identify with the story. What is a Campaign Narrative? Your narrative defines who you are and what you stand for and will develop a level of relationship between you and the voter.   It is important that you know who and what you are so that you are able to define yourself before an opponent has the opportunity. Your campaign narrative is the “wraparound” story that connects your values, message, and policy positions. It answers three key questions:   1.       Who are you? (Your background and experience – the part that connects you emotionally)   2.       Why are you running? (The value you add to the voter – what ...

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Humans versus Artificial Intelligence (AI) Artificial intelligence continues to shape our lives, from customer service bots to self-driving cars.   But it has also quietly entered, like an invasive species, another arena: political campaigns. The question voters now face is both unsettling and important — are we voting for real people, or for personas curated and crafted by AI? It’s no secret that campaigns are largely driven by image. From the first televised presidential debates to today's social media soundbites, candidates are packaged to appeal to different audiences. It seems like some consultants can design a candidate to fit any identity from sex, age, and height to race, religion or sexual preference.   Some of the candidates seem to be straight from central casting. Increasingly, and covertly, that packaging is no longer just the work of human consultants and strategists — it's progressively being generated, tested, and refined by artificial intelligence. H...

Anything important requires a plan! Before a pilot flies a plane, he files a flight plan. Before a professor or teacher begins their class, they develop a plan. Every building, from the tallest skyscrapers to the smallest backyard shed, requires a plan. Athletes on a court or a field have a plan for their games, and they practice those plans repeatedly before a match. But many people who want to run for elected political office jump into a campaign without a plan. Why would someone run for office without a plan? A well-organized campaign plan serves as your roadmap to victory. A campaign plan maps out how to use your time. A campaign plan will create a path for raising money, and then how to responsibly spend it. A campaign plan focuses you on paying attention to the most important information available in your political race and how to create a message, what the right message is, and who you need to reach. The PoliticalCampaign Desk Reference by Michael McNamara has...