How to build your campaign messages in line with your objectives
Campaign messages are like arrows: their trajectory must be precise, and their impact deep and effective. It’s better to launch a single, well-aimed arrow than to waste a hundred with no clear direction. Always keep in mind the specificities of the people you are addressing. Once you understand your audiences, communicating your ideas to each of them becomes much easier.
Follow these five steps to build your campaign messages:
1. Organize your proposals
Put your proposals in order, thinking of them as solutions to the problems your constituents (audiences) are facing. Organize them according to the public’s priorities and also according to the agenda you want to set to your potential mandate. Your proposals are the core of your campaign; all messages should be variations deriving from them.
2. Identify your key message
Identify the key messages or themes you will address throughout the campaign and prioritize them. You need absolute clarity on your public policy proposals:
- what do you want (and realistically can) implement that would generate meaningful change?
- How can you communicate these proposals clearly and simply?
At the intersection of your proposals and how you communicate them lie your key messages.
3. Organize your key messages
Organize your key messages into a coherent, well-structured document that includes main ideas and supporting arguments. Add relevant data and statistics to back up your messages. This document (your “argumentarium”) should serve as a research-based reference you and your team can return to whenever you need to defend or deepen your proposals. It should clearly explain why the changes you propose are necessary and outline your strategic plan for implementation. Needs (including data), proposals, and arguments all belong here. Include a section explaining why you are the best candidate for this position.
4. Create your political narrative
Remember that your unique personal experience also contributes to building solutions. Include elements about who you are and the life philosophy you want to project.
- Why are you the solution to these problems?
- What about you will motivate people to vote?
- What is your political story?
Write it as a story of struggle and achievement.
5. Create your slogan
A slogan should reflect your proposals, key messages, and personal and political story. It should be short, powerful, and capable of expressing something profound about your struggle.
Example: Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez used the campaign slogan “Vivir sabroso” (“Living well”), a philosophy rooted in Afro-descendant communities. Francia is the first Afro-Colombian woman to become Vice President, and her campaign centered her identity and the way her personal experience enriched Colombian politics. Vivir sabroso condenses a cultural and political vision grounded in a harmonious relationship with nature and the environment. It is a demand for dignity, peace, and the right to enjoy life, things that violence and insecurity have taken away from many people in Colombia. It also fills historically marginalized communities with pride. Two simple words that carry representation and proposal at once.
Key considerations when crafting messages
Identify your audience’s problems and needs
Communicate how your proposals address the real situations your electorate faces. Approach your audience with empathy and sensitivity. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman ever elected to the U.S. Congress, won her race with just five core proposals addressing the main challenges in her community. Notice how simply and clearly she presents her platform on her website.
Identify the emotions you want to evoke
Do you want to inspire hope, empathy, indignation, or enthusiasm? Emotions are powerful tools for connection. This should be defined intentionally and then reflected in language and design.
A classic example is Barack Obama’s “Hope” campaign poster: everything, from his upward gaze to the color palette and the single word, was designed to evoke emotion and possibility.
Be clear and concise
Keep messages simple and to the point. Avoid technical jargon or political language that may confuse your audience. Structure information so it’s easy to understand.
Use concrete examples
Concrete examples help people grasp your proposals. Use real cases or everyday situations to illustrate your ideas. There are always stories that represent your community’s challenges. Go out, talk to people, and find voices that embody the changes you want to make. Connect with local activists or explore digital platforms like Change.org.
Be authentic
Your messages should reflect who you are and how you think. Don’t say what you think people want to hear, say only what you genuinely believe. Authenticity builds trust. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign video, where she shared her life and political journey, was key to her victory precisely because of its authenticity.
Use inclusive language
Make your audience visible. Language matters. Instead of defaulting to masculine or exclusionary terms, use inclusive alternatives such as “people from x,” “the public,” or “the community.”
For example, rather than “farmers” in the masculine form, you can say “people who work in agriculture.”
Don’t underestimate your audience
While messages should be accessible, always treat your audience with respect and intelligence. People are fully capable of understanding complex proposals when they are presented clearly and simply.
