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

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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