Nick's Campaign Strategy presentation
-
Upload
australianprogress -
Category
Education
-
view
79 -
download
1
description
Transcript of Nick's Campaign Strategy presentation
CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
WHAT IS A CAMPAIGN?
“Politics is the art of the possible”
“It always seems impossible until it's done”
Campaigning is about changing what’s possible --- because you change the power dynamic.
So campaigning is ultimately about challenging the status quo and tackling entrenched power.
A battle between justice and injustice, and the past and the future.
So just check - do you really need to campaign?
But in many cases….
That’s ok
How did David do it?
Strategy
WHAT IS A STRATEGY?
Most campaigns are David stories.
“Campaigning is what we do when all else has failed”
MODEL
Strategy
Tactic Tactic
Tactic Tactic
Tactic Tactic
Strategy
Tactic Tactic
Tactic Tactic
Tactic Tactic
Goal
Objective
Objective
Vision
What is your goal?
What’s the piece that really offends or excites people?
SUPPORT APATHETIC AGAINST
SUPPORT APATHETIC AGAINST
Go beyond what is simply bad
Bad thingsThat could have been
avoided
Breaking it down
Don’t jump ahead in the story
Some contemporary examples
• Overall goal: getting the United States to take appropriate action on climate change.
• First step on critical path: Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline.
• Overall goal: ending problem gambling.
• First step on critical path: Get Woolworths to divest its poker machines.
• Overall goal: transitioning Australian to a 100% renewable energy economy.
• First step on critical path: Make sure that Port Augusta solar thermal plant goes ahead, rather than a gas plant being built in its place.
Target centred campaigning
• Our very first step before any of this should be to conduct a stand-alone analysis of the best way to get the relevant decision-maker to do what we want. This approach is called ‘target-centred campaigning’.
• Taking a target-centred approach has important implications for how we campaign. It can mean:
• Commissioning a piece of research rather than mobilising your supporters;
• Connecting with constituents in three key electorates rather than running a national media campaign;
• Working with people you don’t like / who you wouldn’t agree with on most issues;
Target centred campaigning
• Name the individual or group of individuals
• If a group of people - who is for you, who is persuadable, who is against you?
• How do they work? What processes do they use? What are the decision-points?
• Who is their electorate? Is it marginal? Who are they worried about shifting their votes?
• How did they win last time?
• Who owns them? What other products do they make? Who are their customers? What are their growth priorities?
• What does the decision-maker think about your constituency?
• Who are they most responsive to?
Power mapping
61
62
TACTICS
Campaigning is a verb
“Social movements are, in the end, about changing the world –
not yearning for it, thinking about it, or exhorting it”
Types of tactics
Movement builders
• Petitions
• House Parties
• Conference calls
Public attention generators
• Stunts
• Reports
• Rallies
• Paid media
Public attention demonstrators
• Polls
• Public meetings
• Earned media
• Public votes/referendums
Target confrontation
• Events with their allies or immediate constituents
• Events on their turf
Build and capture interest
Petitions / grassroots
Advertising / grasstops
Deepen relationships
Rallies Speeches Meetings
Leverage community resources
Fundraising,Harder ask
actions
Show power Billboards, Polls Yardsigns
Generate conflict
Go to where they are.
Go to where their allies or superiors
are.
Blindside New tactics Boldness Internet Comedy
Play to your strengths
vs
Aim for a reaction
Keep it simple stupid
SEIZING MOMENTS
What is a moment
• Alan Jones says something bad
• A clear failure of the system
• A decision has been made that involves injustice
• There is an unexpected change of circumstances
• New facts come to light
Charactised by:
• ‘Front page interest’
• Consequences
• Conflict
• High emotion
Ongoing creative process of understanding and adapting to
new conditions
LOSING STRATEGICALLY
Losing strategically
Shifting political climate
Drawing a line in the
sand
Develop leaders
Sustain relationships
Growing financial
resources
A win or loss is actually the beginning for the next chapter
Capacity to seize moments distinguishes winning campaigns from others
STRATEGIC CAPACITY
Motivation
Salient knowledge
Learning processes
Strategic Capacity
Motivation
Generating motivation
• Work on things you are deeply moved by
• Find those who are deeply effected by the issue and work with them
• Your motivation/interest in an issue can grow the more you are exposed to it
• Commit first
Salient knowledge
Not everyone in your broader movement should be happy
with your strategy.
Creativity/Learning Processes
Learning (strategy analysis) processes
• To aid in understanding of situation - draw a picture• Research analogous situations and apply• Working backward from the solution (what caused it to be solved)• Making the abstract more concrete• Solve a general problem first• Brainstorm lots of ideas to encourage left-field thinking• Use trial and error• Prove it can’t be solved (and prove yourself wrong!)• Work in supportive teams – but create competition to devise strategy• Write an email to your supporters
Mistakes are our friend
Evaluation