Campaign Message Consistency: The Difference Maker
For those of us who closely follow political debates and electoral politics, only a few things are as disheartening as seeing our favorite candidate veer off course from their intended campaign message. Whether it’s a rant, a lengthy tirade, or a complete departure from their message, it’s truly frustrating to see them lose their way to the point of becoming incoherently off track.
Social Media Message: As social media becomes more engraved in our everyday lives, it is almost inevitable for these moments to not be captured, posted, and shared across a variety of mediums and platforms, giving potential voters and spectators an unplanned scene, rather than the intended candidate messaging.
Make sure you know what you are saying: Whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, nothing quite sends a chill down your spine like a candidate making an utterly outrageous statement. No backtracking or correcting a statement can make this go away. As the saying goes, it is nearly impossible to un-ring the bell once rung.
But don’t worry, there are a few ways you can prevent this catastrophe from happening and ensure consistency in your campaign messaging.
Use a Message Box: Developing your campaign messaging is extremely important. Be sure to check out our blog post on the Tully Message Box – a valuable tool for crafting, refining, and fine-tuning your campaign messaging. But it’s also crucial to stick to and stay on message.
Some of the most effective strategies to prevent a candidate from going off track and making sure they stick to and stay on message are proper planning, prepping, and practicing.
Plan, Prep and Practice: Planning and prepping are not only done at the initial stages of a campaign; rather, they should be present throughout all phases of a campaign. Practicing must be a constant. Oftentimes, candidates don’t practice enough or won’t allot time towards this and say, “I got this” and then make a blunder. In order to have consistency, practice makes perfect!
Have a Plan: As a candidate or a campaign manager, you’ll want to plan with as much time as possible. If you want to learn more about what a campaign plan is and why do you need one, read our blog post here. Dedicating time to craft personalized candidate messaging is essential for a winning campaign. A genuine and concise message cannot be built in a day. Begin early and involve your whole team in the process.
Be Prepared: Taking the time to prepare talking points and numerous types of questions, at every stage of the campaign in order to maintain campaign message consistency, is as important as getting your fundraising rolodex in order. Be sure to take time weekly to go over potential questions, new talking points, and stay refreshed on current events. Before each speech, interview, or meet-and-greet, be sure to prep adequately.
Practice, Practice Practice: But here's the deal – it's not just about predicting questions and having answers ready in your back pocket; it's about practicing those answers too. Once you practice your messaging enough, you should be able to recite it in your sleep. Remember, practice makes perfect, so practice as much as you can to create consistency. Then, it will be much easier for you to stick to your intended campaign message and hopefully have a successful campaign.
Have questions? Drop us a line!