The Campaign Workshop Blog

10 Songs Perfect for a Political Campaign Mental Break

Working on a political campaign can be stressful. As a consultant and a former organizer, I can always count on my music to help keep the peace during the crazy election cycle. Friends inside and outside of politics always ask me which songs are my go to for a much-needed mental break. Here are my top ten choices: 1. The Groove Line – Heatwave This song is perfect when you need to take a victory lap after a minor win. It is disco based, providing the perfect soundtrack for a 7-minute dance…

Knowing how to make your campaign budget work is a key to victory. Learn about campaign trail efficiency.

When running for office, think of your bank account as something that should seldom be touched. Your main objective is to have as much cash as possible for voter contact and GOTV.  Regardless of what you’re running for, or how much money you’re able to raise, you should always exercise campaign trail efficiency. Showing restraint now will help you in the end. Take these tips for the most common types of expenditures: Travel – Depending on…

Psychology books every political consultant should read:

It’s tough for any political consultant to stop ruminating on the questions that have plagued progressives since the 2016 election. How could anyone have voted for Trump? Why did people care so much about Hillary Clinton’s emails? How can Republicans in Congress be so spineless? Why would anyone believe a fake news story? Political consultants can find solace in knowing that psychology has explanations for these phenomena. As we dive into campaign plans to persuade voters in November,…

Harnessing Geo-Fencing Technology for Advocacy

(Updated 2/6/18) Mobile advertising in and of itself is no longer cutting edge, but how can you use it in new and interesting ways to get your advocacy message out there? One tactic we have been using more and more is geo-fencing technology to run mobile ad campaigns. Essentially, geo-fencing means that an advertiser creates a virtual fence around an address and serves ads within that area. The retail market has frequently used geo-fencing to get people to purchase items or frequent a place of…

Annie Duke shares her insight on making smarter decisions in life and in politics

Annie Duke is a decision-making expert and a former professional poker player. She won her first World Series of Poker, as well as the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions, in 2004. In 2010, she went on to win the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. Annie Duke founded a nonprofit called How I Decide in 2014 that helps young people develop stronger decision-making skills. Prior to her professional poker playing career, Annie Duke was awarded a…

Political Campaign Photography Shoots Are Worth the Money

Good political campaign photography is a must. Good political campaign photography is the cornerstone of a quality communications program. We’ve all seen bad political advertising. It’s a kind of bad that transcends the traditional meaning of the word. But it doesn’t have to be all European stock photos misused in Kentucky or…

7 Questions with Steve Vancore

Steve Vancore is a political consultant and researcher. He is the founding partner at VancoreJones Communications, a political consulting firm that works on legislative communications, public relations, and political campaigns from local races to statewide races. He is also the president of Clearview Research, which focuses on polling and focus group research, and teaches in the Masters of Applied American Politics and Policy program at Florida State University. 1. How’d…

Make Your Member Communication Count 

With the 2018 election cycle ramping up, it’s never too early to build your member communication plan. By amping up your communication, you can harness the power of your membership and get results for the issues you care about. Whether you’re working for a labor union or an advocacy organization, these tips will help make your member communication program count. 1. Plan Ahead Building a strong member communication program takes time and planning. Get organized early so that you’re not scrambling to figure…

7 Questions with Deepak Puri Co-Founder of Democracy Labs on the Intersection of Campaigning and Technology

Deepak Puri previously worked at Oracle, Netscape and VMware, and is now the co-founder of the San Francisco, non-profit Democracy Labs. By deploying technology and creative innovation, Democracy Labs offers affordable business solutions for progressive groups and candidates across the country. We asked Deepak 7 questions focused on the intersection of campaigning and technology. Read his insights here!  1. What was your inspiration for…

Canvass Training Will Make Your Canvass Count

The 2018 election cycle is officially here! As candidates, by this point you have probably been knocking on doors for weeks and are finally at a place where you are ready to bring in the cavalry, your volunteers! For campaigns, we believe in doors, doors, and more doors.  Those doors translate into more voter contact and more identified targets for GOTV. Hitting doors in the right way is why having a structured and detailed canvass training is vitally important. Bringing in more troops is an…