Malcolm Rivera
Political parties campaign to promote their ideas, policies, and priorities to voters. Campaigns are a vital part of democratic elections, providing an opportunity for contestants to present their messages and compete for votes. Campaigns can take many forms, including traditional and new media, public events, written materials, and other creative strategies. Political parties publish manifestos, outlining their key policies and positions, and may also use advertising, propaganda, and entertainment to attract voters. Campaigning is mostly done by election candidates, political parties, and their teams, but independent activists and interest groups may also get involved. Campaigns are regulated to ensure fairness and transparency, with rules governing spending limits, advertising disclosures, and the behaviour of candidates.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To raise awareness and support for the positions of a candidate or their party |
| Message | Talking points about policy issues, repeated frequently to create a lasting impression with the voters |
| Techniques | Canvassing door-to-door, making phone calls, posters, leaflets, interviews, newspapers, billboards, social media, TV, radio, public events, written materials, advertising, propaganda, merchandise |
| Media | Paid media (directly generated from spending) and earned media (newspaper articles, interviews, etc.) |
| Spending | Regulated by the Electoral Commission to ensure fairness and transparency; spending limits apply |
| Duration | Usually a month or several months leading up to election day; ends one or two days before election day |
| Location | In some countries, public media and/or space are allocated for campaigning |
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What You'll Learn
Campaigning methods and strategies
Voter Outreach and Engagement
Voter outreach is crucial for any political campaign. It involves direct interactions with voters to build connections, address concerns, and convey the campaign message. Canvassing, or face-to-face engagement, is considered the most effective method for securing votes. This can include knocking on doors, participating in town halls and public events, and utilising phone calls (phone banking) to engage with voters. Phone banking allows for meaningful conversations and provides valuable insights into voter perspectives.
Online and Social Media Presence
The rise of the internet and social media has significantly influenced political campaigning. Campaigns increasingly focus on online communications and social media engagement to reach a wider audience, especially younger voters. This includes utilising platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and custom social engines, as well as optimising websites with essential elements such as a bio, campaign messaging, and donation buttons. Social media directors and digital strategists are in high demand to manage online content, monitor social media presence, and coordinate digital strategy.
Data Analysis and Targeted Outreach
Political campaigns rely on data analysis to identify their target voters and craft tailored messages. This involves analysing past campaigns, voter registration data, and voting histories to determine the number of likely voters and develop a strategy to achieve the required number of votes for victory. Campaigns may also purchase voter data from third-party vendors to gain deeper insights into voter behaviour and preferences.
Fundraising and Financial Strategies
Fundraising is a critical aspect of political campaigns, as it provides the financial resources needed to run a successful campaign. Common fundraising methods include organising events such as dinners, galas, or community gatherings where supporters can contribute financially. Political parties may also offer stipends or financial support to campaigns they align with. Online fundraising is also important, with websites providing convenient donation buttons and options for voters to contribute easily.
Volunteer and Activist Engagement
Volunteers are the backbone of any political campaign, providing essential support for various tasks, from setting up events to processing donations. Campaigns should invest in training volunteers for sensitive tasks, such as collecting donations, to ensure compliance with relevant laws. Activists and supporters act as "foot soldiers," promoting the campaign through activities like canvassing and phone calls.
Endorsements and Media Narratives
Endorsements from celebrated party members or influential individuals can boost support for a campaign. Media narratives and public opinion play a significant role in shaping voter perspectives. It is important for campaigns to understand and navigate the impact of media coverage on their strategy.
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Campaign advertising and promotion
Political advertising campaigns have evolved significantly, especially with the advent of the internet and social media. The digital aspect of campaigns has become an integral part of political marketing and campaign strategy. Twitter wars, TikTok campaigns, and a strong social media presence are now commonplace in the political landscape. Political advertising campaigns aim to influence public opinion, such as supporting or opposing a candidate for nomination or election to a public office or within a political party. These campaigns can also extend beyond party representation to referendums on local issues. Political ads are typically either issue-based or image-based. Issue-based advertising provides voters with insights into the positions of political parties and candidates on political, policy, and legislative matters, as well as their views on issues of public interest.
There are various digital channels and strategies used in modern political advertising. Social media has become an essential tool, with paid promotion on social media sites via ads or sponsored content. Political entities also create their own social media posts on their channels, known as owned social posts. Additionally, partnerships with popular social media users or influencers who promote the campaign are formed. Other digital channels include paid video hosting sites, geotargeted preroll video ads, audio channels like radio, music streaming services, podcasts, and smart speakers. Display ads are visual ads placed on websites, apps, or social media networks that are clickable and redirect users to dedicated landing pages. Banner ads, mobile leaderboard ads, and desktop ads are common examples of display advertising. Native ads are a form of paid digital advertising where the ad matches the content, visual feel, and form of the media they appear in, seamlessly blending in with their environment, including online news sites and social media platforms. Connected TV (CTV) ads are streamed on smart TVs or connected devices, including gaming consoles.
To create a successful political ad campaign, it is crucial to learn from past election cycles and plan ahead, especially considering the increased competition and higher CPMs during peak election months. Programmatic guaranteed (PG) is a feature that facilitates one-to-one deals between publishers and advertisers, helping to lock in rates and ensure delivery during high-competition periods. Campaign forecasting can predict how a campaign will scale and perform before any spending occurs. A multi-channel strategy, combined with cross-channel retargeting, increases the likelihood of political messaging reaching the target audience. Contextual advertising targets ads based on the environment and the user's frame of mind, indicated by the content they consume, rather than their behaviour. With contextual ads, campaigns can target niche phrases related to a candidate's platform or the political concerns of the target audience.
It is important to note that political ads should comply with country-specific legal requirements, election laws, and applicable electoral silence periods. False or misleading content is prohibited, including information intended to intimidate or dissuade people from participating in an election or undermine public confidence. Advertisers must obtain pre-approval and comply with any applicable laws and content requirements.
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Campaign finances and funding
Political campaigns are financed by contributions from individuals, corporations, political action committees (PACs), and sometimes the government. The money is used to fund advertising and other campaign activities. Campaign spending has been on the rise since at least 1990, with nearly $14 billion spent on the 2020 federal election campaigns in the US—making it the most expensive campaign in the country's history.
Campaign finance laws, which vary across states and federal levels, dictate who can contribute to a campaign, how much they can give, and how those contributions must be reported. These laws also set limits on campaign fundraising and spending. For instance, federal law prohibits corporations and labour unions from donating money directly to candidates or national party committees. However, they can influence elections by creating political action committees (PACs) that solicit donations from members to make campaign contributions.
PACs can be connected or non-connected. A connected PAC, also known as a "separate segregated fund" (SSF), is sponsored by a corporation, union, or interest group and can only receive and raise money from a restricted class, such as managers and shareholders. The sponsor covers the administrative costs. On the other hand, a non-connected PAC is financially independent and must pay its administrative expenses using the contributions it raises.
Leadership PACs are another type of non-connected PAC that can be set up by elected officials and political parties to make independent expenditures. Leadership PACs can accept donations from individuals and other PACs. Super PACs, or independent expenditure-only political committees, are also able to raise money to influence federal elections through advertising.
Bundling is a practice where individuals contribute to political parties or candidates and bundle contributions from others, host political fundraisers, or both. This practice has been criticised, as it has led to US presidents rewarding bundlers with political appointments, such as ambassador positions.
Public funding is also available for presidential elections, where eligible candidates receive federal government funds to pay for qualified campaign expenses in primary and general elections.
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Campaign volunteers and interns
Volunteering or interning for a political campaign provides an opportunity to develop a wide range of skills and build professional and personal networks. It can be a stepping stone to positions with more responsibility and a great way to gain experience in the political arena. Campaign volunteers and interns can expect to perform a variety of tasks, depending on the campaign's needs and their own interests and skills. These tasks may include:
- Voter outreach: This involves direct contact with voters through phone calls, canvassing, or door-knocking. Volunteers may also be involved in organizing house parties or other events to engage with voters and promote the candidate.
- Social media and web presence: Maintaining and updating the campaign's online presence is crucial. This may include blogging, managing social media accounts, or contributing to supporter websites.
- Research: Research staff play a critical role in keeping the campaign informed. They may vet staff and volunteers, research policy proposals, or track media appearances by the campaign's candidate and opponents.
- Fundraising: Although it may be challenging to find opportunities in this area, fundraising can provide broader exposure to different organizations and people and allow for more direct contact with the candidate.
- Administrative support: Campaigns also require administrative and organizational support, including scheduling, managing correspondence, and other office tasks.
To get involved as a volunteer or intern, it is essential to do your research and identify the candidate or party that aligns with your values and interests. Contact local campaign staff, attend political events, and network with people involved in politics to learn about opportunities. Many campaigns have websites with sections dedicated to volunteer and internship positions. Keep in mind that larger campaigns are more likely to offer paid positions, but even they may expect you to start as a volunteer.
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Campaigning for a particular cause
Political parties campaign for a particular cause or issue in a variety of ways, and this is vital to a healthy democracy. Campaigns are how candidates and parties present their ideas, policies, and priorities to the voters. Campaigns are mostly run by the candidates themselves, the parties, and their teams, but often other groups will support a campaign because they care about a single issue, such as climate change, which is a key policy for that party.
Campaigning can take many forms, from posters and leaflets to newspaper stories and interviews. Parties will also publish a manifesto, outlining their policies and priorities, which is available on their websites and in other formats. They may also use paid media, which allows them to tailor their messages and control when the public sees them. This can include political advertisements and organized events.
Campaigns will also use endorsements from celebrities or influential people to boost support. They may also use a 'surrogate' to campaign on their behalf. This could be a well-known figure who is not an official member of the party but who supports the cause. Campaigns will also sell official merchandise to supporters.
There are rules about what is and isn't allowed in campaigning, and these are shared with all parties and groups. For example, candidates cannot make outlandish promises or tell lies about another candidate's character. Campaigning should be transparent, so voters know exactly where the information is coming from and that it is trustworthy. There are also rules about what can be done on social media, and spending limits are regulated by the Electoral Commission to ensure fairness.
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Frequently asked questions
A political campaign is a means for candidates and political parties to present their ideas, policies, and positions on issues to voters in the period preceding election day. Campaigns are vital for democratic elections, as they allow contestants to compete for votes and help voters make informed decisions.
Campaign strategies can vary, but they often include a mix of traditional and new media, public events, and written materials. Other avenues are limited by the law and available resources. Campaigns may also use endorsements from celebrities or influential people, canvassing door-to-door, phone calls, posters, leaflets, and social media advertising.
The media plays a significant role in political campaigns. Newspapers may publicly support a political party and publish biased stories, while journalists in TV and radio are generally expected to provide an independent view. Paid media, such as political advertisements and organised events, allow campaigns to tailor their messages and control their timing.
