Chris Arterton

11 Mayo 2007 “ Strategy and Strategic Planning in Campaigns”

“STRATEGY AND STRATEGIC PLANNING IN

CAMPAIGNS”

Presentation by

Christopher Arterton

Dean of The GSPM

10 de Mayo 2007


TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED

I. OVERALL APPROACH TO THE CAMPAIGN STRATEGYA. Separating Strategy from Tactics

II. CAMPAIGN PLAN OVERVIEWA. What is a Campaign PlanB. Sections of the Campaign Plan

III. CENTRAL ELEMENTS OF THE CAMPAIGN PLAN

IV. THE CAMPAIGN BUDGET AND SCHEDULE

V. AUDIENCE AND MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT


STRATEGIC APPROACHES TO CAMPAIGNING

1. An Approach based on Military Thinking

2. A Planning Approach

3. A Communications Approach

4. An Interactive Approach


Strategy from a Military Perspective

• Goals and Focus over the Longer Term

• Thinking on the Highest Level

• Keeping the Larger Picture in Mind

• Command and Control of the Campaign – Integration of Units


Strategy from a Communications

Perspective

• Who is my Audience?

• What is my Message?


THE MESSAGE GRID

What WE will say about OUR candidate.

What THEY will say about OUR candidate.

What WE will say about THEIR candidate.

What THEY will say about THEIR candidate.


Strategy from an Interactive Perspective

• Conflict between Two (or more) Intelligent, Antagonistic, Competing Wills

• Outcomes Reflect the Joint Interaction of Opposing Forces

• Strategy is Controlling the Interaction


Strategic Planning in Campaigns

The Written Campaign Plan


WHAT IS A CAMPAIGN PLAN?Why do I need one?

1 RATIONAL ALLOCATION OF (SCARCE) RESOURCES

2 FOCUSING DEVICE: STRATEGY VS. TACTICS

3 AN INTERNAL TREATY [personalities, access, power, and disputes over direction]

4 PERSEVERANCE AND CONSISTENCY “Hanging in there” when the going gets rough

Knowing When to Revise(?)


SECTIONS OF THE CAMPAIGN PLAN (Part 1)

1. PRECISE STATEMENT OF GOALS

2. ASSUMPTIONS 3. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

a. Candidate’s b. Opponent’s

4. VOTER ANALYSIS a. Past Elections b. Polling c. Targeting

5. RESEARCH a. Policy Issues b. “Opposition research” (self and opponent)

Guillermo Bertoldi


SECTIONS OF THE CAMPAIGN PLAN (part 2)

6. OPTIONS AND DECISIONS

a. What factors are in your control?

b. What factors don’t you control?

c. When do decisions have to be made?

7. MESSAGES AND THEMES

8. THE BUDGET

9. A (REALISTIC) FUNDRAISING PLAN


SECTIONS OF THE CAMPAIGN PLAN (part 3)

10. FREE MEDIA

11. SCHEDULING PLAN

12. PAID ADVERTISING

13. CAMPAIGN STAFF a. Headquarters Staff b. Field Organization c. Volunteers


CENTRAL THREADS OF A CAMPAIGN PLAN

[What resources can be allocated?]

• MONEY• GEOGRAPHY (TRAVEL)• TIME (USEAGE AND CALENDAR)• PERSONNEL (STAFF AND

VOLUNTEERS)• IDEAS/MESSAGES


MONEY…..MONEY..MONEY

THE CAMPAIGN BUDGET

How to Spend the Campaign Dollar

What to Spend Your Money On

When to Spend your Campaign Dollar

Running up a Debt

Maintaining Budgeting Control

Self Discipline

Controlling Others


THE CAMPAIGN SCHEDULE (Part 1)

• TIME IS SCARCEMinimal “personal” timeSum of campaign time

• GEOGRAPHY AND THE SCHEDULE• SCHEDULING BY TYPES OF EVENTS

FundraisingMediaVotersStaffPersonal


THE CAMPAIGN SCHEDULE (Part 2)

• THE CAMPAIGN DAY

• CONFLICTING DEMANDS AS A PROBLEM

• WHOSE IN CHARGE?

• INSULATING THE CANDIDATE

• FUNDRAISING REVISITED


The Audience:Targeting your message;Focusing your campaign

• THE CANDIDATE, CONSULTANTS AND CITIZENSLeadership, Responsiveness and ManipulationWho “Owns” The Campaign?

• LEARNING YOUR ELECTION DISTRICTWho’s whoMeeting peopleDriving the districtData, data, data


MESSAGE ELEMENTS

1. What does the Candidate want to say?2. What are audiences prepared to hear?

a. The General Electorateb. Activists and Your Organizationc. Your Basec. The Undecidedsd. Non-Voterse. Journalistsf. Micro-targeting

3. Creativity and dramatization4. Simplicity and repetition5. Message Control and Discipline


SECTIONS OF THE CAMPAIGN PLAN

1. PRECISE STATEMENT OF GOALS2. ASSUMPTIONS 3. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES 4. VOTER ANALYSIS 5. RESEARCH6. OPTIONS AND DECISIONS7. MESSAGES AND THEMES8. THE BUDGET9. A (REALISTIC) FUNDRAISING PLAN10. FREE MEDIA11. SCHEDULING PLAN12. PAID ADVERTISING13. CAMPAIGN STAFF


EIGHT RULES OF STRATEGY

1. Competitive interaction creates a fluid dynamic. Planning cannot be a straight-jacket. Flexibility not formulas.

2. Monitor your assumptions.3. Strategy is cerebral: thinking not doing!4. Perception is as important as reality.5. Actions and timing need to be considered separately.6. Maintain the initiative (OODA loop)7. Attend to “hinge points” in coalitions (theirs and yours)8. If your opponent is in crisis, do nothing. If you are in

crisis, get the whole story out fast.


“STRATEGY AND STRATEGIC PLANNING

FOR CAMPAIGNS”

Christopher Arterton

The Graduate School of Political Management The George Washington University

1-202-994-5843

[email protected]

Thank you!

Chris Arterton

News & Politics

campaign strategy

campaign schedule

campaign staff

campaign budget

campaign dollar

campaign plan overview

campaign plan central

scheduling plan