Campaign Planning 101
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Transcript of Campaign Planning 101
Campaign Planning 101
Jed Thorp, ManagerSierra Club, Ohio [email protected] x303
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
Sierra Club Founded in 1892 (Ohio
1968) 17,000 members statewide Work on wide variety of
issues (energy, water, fracking, transportation)
Member-led, member-driven www.sierraclub.org
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
What is the secret to success in organizing?
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
Grassroots Organizing Win real, immediate and concrete
improvements in people’s lives Re-align power relationships by building
strong and effective organizations Empower people to become active and effective in the political process, and in their communities
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
A note on organization building… Ask
Thank
Inform
Involve
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
Campaign Planning Matrix
1. Issue Focus 2. Campaign Goals 3. Lay of the Land 4. Strategy 5. Campaign Communication 6. Tactics and Timeline 7. Resource Management
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
1. Issue Focus
What problem are you seeking to address?
How does it relate to your community? Will working on this issue strengthen
your organization? Is this winnable?
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
2. Campaign Goals Conservation Goals:Example…Immediate: Stop the toxic waste incineratorInterim: Inform public that such facilities endanger public healthLong-Term: Eliminate all toxic waste incinerators from the state
- Realistic, achievable and quantifiable
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
2. Campaign Goals (cont.) Organizational Goals:- How will our organization be larger and
stronger because of this campaign?- Example:- Recruit 20 new members- Create Facebook page- Raise $2,000
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
3. Lay of the Land
Organizational Strengths and Weaknesses How much money do you have? Volunteers?
Skills? Workspace? Experience? Relationships with decision-makers and media?
Allies and Opponents Who else has a stake in this issue? What
resources could allies bring to the campaign? Who can we neutralize?
Know your opposition!
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
4. Strategy
“Strategic Vehicle” Legislation Regulation Pressure manufacturer Ballot initiative
Consider: political climate; existing relationships; resources
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
4. Strategy (cont.) Targets
Who can give you the outcome you want? Strategy: as much about what you WON’T
be doing as hat you WILL be doing. The more resources you can focus on your
primary target, the better Name names: (John Kasich, Scott Nally,
the CEO of company X, etc.)
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
4. Strategy (cont.)
A Note about legislative bodies… Divide into 3 groups
Our Base (for us) Their base (against us) Persuadables (up for grabs)
Do the Math! Don’t take your base for granted
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
4. Strategy (cont.)
Primary vs Secondary Targets
Who can influence your primary target? Community leaders? Other groups?
Public audience - don’t forget that you are also trying to win over the public. Make them a “tertiary” target
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
5. Campaign Communication
Clear Concise Connected Compelling
Contrasting Credible Consistent
Seven ‘C’s of effective Campaign Communication
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
5. Campaign Communication “Start where they are” Don’t just “preach to the choir” Focus your argument on what will be
most meaningful to them Use understandable language:
“Particulate matter” vs “soot” “ecosystem” vs “habitat”
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
5. Campaign Communication
Message Short: “Protect America’s Environment –
For Our Families, For Our Future” Story (short paragraph)
Problem Victim (person or place) Villain (best to individualize) Hero (public) Resolution (way to solve the problem)
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
5. Campaign Communications
Media Practice message discipline
“When the campaign staff and reporters become physically ill over the repetition of the message, only then have you begun to penetrate the public consciousness”
Which media outlets will reach your targets?
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
6. Tactics and Timeline Note: this is step 6, NOT step 1
Create Demand (Build base) Direct contact; Visibility
Make Leaders Accountable (for, against, persuadables) Use media
Take Delivery
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
6. Tactics and Timeline Media, can be used to…
Influence decision-makers Generate activism Verify the record Force a position to be taken Reveal motives
Note: Media is a tactic, not a goal in-and-of itself
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
Tactic Checklist
What is our goal of this activity? Who is our target for this tactic? How will this communicate our message? Will this alienate our partners or hurt our
credibility? Do we have the time, money, and people to pull
this off? Is this “newsworthy?” How will our partners contribute to this effort? Will this be fun? Is this simple, achievable and effective? How will this set us up for our NEXT tactic?
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
7. Resource Management
Know what you need Have a fundraising plan Know who to ask Know WHAT to ask Have a campaign budget
KNOW how much things cost Spend wisely!
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101
Sierra Club: Campaign Planning 101