Communications, Media, and Messaging for Local Campaigns

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Welcome! We will be starting the training

session shortly.

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Communications, Media& Messaging

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Presented by Mario Piscatella & Linsey Pecikonis



CandidateProject.org/academy



OBJECTIVES:• By the end of this session, you will understand how to

develop a communications plan including an effective

campaign message, working with the media, the different

kinds of earned media, how to craft a press release and

effective social media strategies

Live Tweeting is encouraged! Hashtag: #CPTA

Mario Piscatella: @mpiscatella / @mpapolitical & Linsey

Pecikonis: @cr8progress

@DFATraining & @DFAAction & @CandidateProj &

@NewOrganizing



AGENDA:

•

Developing Your Message• Staying 'On Message'• Media Basics

l Press Advisories, Press Releases, and more

• Social Media – to infinity and beyond!



TECHNICAL

DIFFICULTIES?

Visit www.CandidateProject.org/help





Developing Your CampaignMessage



• You are not normal. You are not the target for your message

•

Telling a Story - not giving a Lecture (6 Minutes MAX!)• Emotion before Facts - Drew Westen's The Political Brain

• Key Q's - Why are you Running? Why are you a Democrat/Republican?

• Conviction - Speak from your heart, think with your head.

Developing Your Campaign Message



Tools of Messaging



• Message Box

• 27 - 9 - 3

• S W O T Analysis

• Repetition, Repetition, Repetition

Tools of Messaging



Message Box

What we say about

OURSELVES

US

US

Them

Them

What they say about

US

What we say about

THEM

What they say about

THEMSELVES



Message Box: Gingrich v Romney

(FL)

- Experience, Intelligence

- True Conservative

- Can beat 44 (in debate)

- Big Ideas

US

US

Them

Them

What they say about

US

- Business Exp/Success

- Washington Outsider

- True Conservative

- Inevitable Nominee

What we say about

THEM



Message Box: Gingrich v Romney

(FL)

- Experience, Intelligence

- True Conservative

- Can beat 44 (in debate)

- Big Ideas

US

US

Them

Them

- Corrupt / Washington

Insider

- Failure

- Not Conservative

(immoral)

- cozy with liberals

- Business Exp/Success

- Washington Outsider

- True Conservative

- Inevitable Nominee

- Flip Flopping Massachusetts

Moderate

- RomneyCare

- Failed candidate



• Get your 'foot in the door'

• The average newspaper quote is about 30 words long. The average TV quote

is about 10 seconds.

• No more than 3 points - stay focused and on message

"I think it's time to shake things up: Time to support our schools,

time to clean out City Hall, and time to bring jobs back to Anytown."

27 Words - 9 Seconds - 3 Points



• Strengths

• Weaknesses

• Opportunities

• Threats

S W O T Analysis



• Strengths - Smart, Passionate, underdog

• Weaknesses - Record, Arrogance, funding• Opportunities - Debates, Grassroots, Media focus

• Threats - Arrogance, Media Focus, Santorum/Paul becoming

#1 alternative to Romney

S W O T Analysis (Gingrich-FL)



Message Principles



• Always know your purpose/objective (Ask?)

• 5 C's - Concise, Clear, Consistent, Convincing, Contrastive

• K I S S

• Repetition, Repetition, Repetition, and then do it all over again.

Message Principles



Staying 'On Message'



• Repeat the message, repeat the message, stay on message

• Pivot to deliver your message

• It's OK to say, "I can't comment on that right now" or "I don't know, but I will

get you that answer"

• Reject unsubstantiated premises, loaded questions, other tabloid BS

• Don't open your mouth unless you are prepared to deliver message

Staying 'On Message'



Media Basics



• The Advisory – notice to the media about for a specific event (Debate, Press

Conference, etc)

• Brief document that states the facts of the event (the who, what, when and

where), and lists them clearly.

• Are sent out a few days before an event with “NEWS ADVISORY” clearly

marked at the top.

• Follow up advisories with pitch calls. ALWAYS!

Media Basics: The Press Advisory Vs. The

Press Release



Sample

Advisory:



• The Release – new stories put out by the campagin.

• Gives the reporter the perspective from the campaign & candidate.

• It’s the story you want to get published!

• Distributed during the event or after – clearly making the distinction between

the advisory and the release.

• Remember: Check for spelling and punctuation. Keep them simple, short and

consistent.

Media Basics: The Press Advisory Vs. The

Press Release



Sample

Release:



• Remember – Never Lie to the Press

• Media Relations & the 4 R’s: Respect, Respect …can you guess the other

two?• What makes a story Newsworthy? Quick Tip Video? New & Hot Local and Relevant Visual & Quotable Human Interest

• Pitching 101: Whom to pitch, What to pitch and When to pitch.

Media Basics: Pitching Your Story



• Before the Event: Plan• Venue• Timing• Message• Media Outreach• Follow-up Plan

• Always have a Media Kit!

Media Basics: News Conferences &

Media Events



Social Media – to Infinity andBeyond!



• Twitter

• Facebook

• Google+

Social Media Favorites



• How many people are on twitter?

• Most relevant in the political sphere

• Campaign outreach

• Example:

• Difference between an @ and a #

• Don’t waste your time

SECTION TITLE

http://www.sysomos.com/insidetwitter/politics/

http://www.sysomos.com/insidetwitter/politics/



• How many people are on Facebook?

• Difference between ‘likes’ & how to drive traffic

• Example:

• Campaign Outreach

• Don’t waste your time

SECTION TITLE



• Fastest Growing Social Network ever had 20 million users within the month of it’s official launch

• BUT people only spend an average of 5 minutes on the site

• Example:

• Upside: Google hangouts





QUESTIONS?CandidateProject.org/academy



Communications, Media, and Messaging for Local Campaigns

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