Electoral campaigns to transform reality
When we talk about electoral campaigns capable of changing reality, we’re talking about situations in which political action is placed at the center of the process, as a tool for social transformation. In this context, electoral campaigns are understood as instruments for dialogue and articulation, and can be seen as catalysts for change.
In an electoral campaign, turning objectives into reality is the core goal of the strategy, and the strategy is the core tool to make it happen.
Political campaigns represent an opportunity to talk and engage with people about our political project. Political campaigns also make it possible to contrast opinions and arguments, organise groups around a specific objective, connect and bring more people together, and mobilise them around shared beliefs in society.
Campaigns are moments when institutional forces come together, disputing and shaping a future political and social scenario. Political temperature rises, and as a result, people are more driven to demand action and to engage.
Where do campaigns happen? And why does strategy matter?
Where do we meet voters and build relationships with them? This space can be divided into two broad categories, which we’ll call “air” and “ground.”
Air: billboards in public spaces, social media advertising, TV slots, radio ads… We can define “air” as everything that reaches people through the public sphere, but not necessarily through a specific or personal interaction.
Ground: here we include phone calls as part of one-to-one connection. Face-to-face contact with voters ,canvassing, neighborhood meetings, etc.
Is one more important than the other? That depends on the campaign strategy.
All actions and messages in the “air” sphere enable mass communication. They increase visibility, set the campaign tone, and project the candidate’s image into the public space.
Interaction on the “ground,” however, is decisive for voter mobilisation. It’s through direct contact that real, specific interaction happens. It allows conversations tailored to voters’ concerns, builds reciprocal relationships through listening and participation, and opens space for incorporating new voices, ideas, and campaign participants.
Every campaign has a strategy
Strategy is the filter that determines all our actions during the campaign, because it aligns the efforts of the teams and guides all decision-making. That’s why it’s essential that everyone involved has a clear understanding of it.
Strategy must reflect the political objectives of the campaign. It’s not a slogan, nor simply the number of votes we need to win. It’s a synthesis of the positioning we want to project. That’s strategy.
Anyone developing an electoral strategy should take the following into account:
Current legal regulations:
Campaign spending, campaign periods, candidate registration, and the electoral system that governs the election. Check all the rules that apply to your specific context.
Electoral analysis:
How many votes are needed to win or achieve the campaign’s political objectives? Where can those votes be found?
Information about the electorate:
Using quantitative and qualitative methods and research, such as focus groups or in-depth interviews, try to understand what they care about and what repels them.
Information about other candidates:
Who they are, their backgrounds, and the values and actions people associate with them.
Information about the territory:
Its organisations, history, and stakeholder map.
After gathering this information, other strategic inputs should be built, such as group dynamics to define why, how, where, and how we want others to see us; how they see our opponent; and what kind of image we want to project – this should afterwards be reflected on the visual id, style guide and all communications.
It’s important to emphasise that not only the outcome of this exercise matters, but also the discussion and conversation it generates. This process helps align expectations, contrast different views within the campaign team, and bring in richer, more nuanced elements towards to the campaign’s efforts.
