Target groups

• demographic profile
• political profile

Demographic profile

• age
• education
• earnings
• family situation
• property status (e.g. car)
• housing situation
• ...
• ...
• ...

Demographic profile

• Selection of election campaign topics
• Selection of election campaign tools [methods, communication channels]
• Campaign targeted at specific segments

Political profile

All those solid, soft or non-voting ones

Factors influencing the election campaign

• Dependent
• Independent
• Positive
• Negative

Independent factors

• [base] popularity of the candidate's party or party
• popularity of competitors or competing parties
  
• structure of the [local] political scene
  
• method of converting votes into seats (and more broadly the electoral system)
  
• place on the electoral list
• estimated turnout
• candidate's gender (gender share on the list)
• candidate's appearance and presentation
• candidate's age (often disregarded)
• current social moods and extraordinary events
• candidate's name
• limitations, including financial
• ...

Czynniki zależne

• appropriate campaign strategy and plan (and the very fact of their existence)
• financial resources
• team - number of people involved, their knowledge and competences
• team - contacts and influence on social groups
• candidate's/candidates' own workload
• candidate's soft skills - motivating and managing co-workers
• election tactics
• ...

Message

[the bark of the campaign tree]

Every message received by voters and the campaign environment (e.g. media, competitors)

Message

The substantive message is nice, but not always effective

you have to play on emotions

Message

Humphrey 1968

This TV ad was produced in 1968 at the request of Hubert Humphrey's campaign team. It was aimed at Spyro Agnew, who was running for vice president alongside R. Nixon, and whose qualifications were considered very low. The ad shows a TV screen with the text: "Spyro Agnew for president?". At the same time, a loud, mocking laugh can be heard from off-screen. The ad ends with the narrator's commentary and the text on the screen: "This would be funny if it weren't true."

Message

Message

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k17HAaj5mg

https://x.com/Platforma_org/status/1790991407076773961

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU9OKCMJRrA

Message

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tANW8D6imK0

30:48

Election campaign topics

A compromise between:

• interests and expectations of voters
• credibility and competence of the candidate
• topics taken up by the competition

Topics

• the topic should reach potential recipients
• important and attractive
• talking about everything during an election campaign does not work
• a few slogans
• but for everything else you need to have some idea...
• people are NOT INTERESTED in public affairs
• people are NOT ATTRACTED by election programs
• they are more interested in their own family problems, professional situation or the result of Saturday's match - ACCEPT THIS!!!

Attention:

• People do not make voting decisions rationally!!
• In a campaign, you cannot ignore issues that arouse emotions and are controversial
• You have to distinguish yourself from the competition in some way, have a better offer in some sense
• The message is almost always intended to reach the average voter - without special education or knowledge
• The message should affect emotions more than the rational part
• We have to give the voter an excuse/justification for why they are voting for a given party or candidate

Election program

a different situation for a candidate (individualization), a different one for a committee/list, and very exceptional in the case of local elections.

A broader approach than to the TOPICS of the campaign (we choose those, what we want to deal with) - in the program we refer to everything that may turn out to be important.

An important answer to the question: what topics (sum) may appear in the election campaign?

Election program

What about internal contradiction? It is acceptable, but then we expose ourselves to attacks from competitors. Most voters will not notice it anyway (they will not even have a chance)

Voters do not distinguish the competences of individual bodies or even individual authorities. This can be exploited, but it also has negative sides - voters may expect solutions to problems that are beyond their control.

Election program

you can use available public opinion polls

as well as the results of sociological research, all analyses, censuses

using media information to identify problems of a given community

if we run a campaign in Łódź or Kraków, we are not interested in fishing problems!

But the problems of the shipyard - as a symbol - can be a bit more

Election program

Especially in local elections - it is worth considering conducting a survey in the district regarding the problems and expectations of residents. This has not only informational value, but allows you to promote the candidate (you have to take an active part in this!)

Opinions of your closest environment - important, but you have to take into account the representativeness.

Election program

Several levels depending on the type of election and the committee formula.

The easiest way in a SMC to the Commune Council is from your own committee, which puts up only 1 candidate.

The most twisted in local government elections in the case of a national committee (how to avoid conflicts between the interests of different regions, provinces, and even communes? - see planning the route of expressways)

Election program

If the program is to take some physical form (print, or even place it on a website), it is not worth creating contradictory versions for different segments of the electorate - the risk of embarrassment is too high.

NOTHING IN NATURE IS GOING TO BE WASTE, AND EVEN MORE SO IN THE POLITICAL MARKET!!!

Election slogan/slogans

• May be important, because they are supposed to attract attention and the candidate/party is supposed to be identified with them
• Supposedly, it is supposed to have some connection with the program. Supposedly.
• Simple
• Clear
• Unconventional
• Consistent with the candidate's image (or serving to build it)

Election slogan/slogans

• It's good if it appeals to emotions
• Unfortunately, it is often subject to modifications and alterations (it is difficult to avoid this in 100%).
• Ambiguity should be avoided
• And even more so, difficult words
• A blatant contradiction with the candidate's image should be avoided
• The main slogan is better positive than negative

Election campaign plan

Every campaign (regardless of the level) is divided into stages

• candidate recognition
• forming an opinion about the candidates
• making an electoral decision

The question is, does such a division make sense in practice?

Election campaign plan

Each campaign (regardless of the level) is divided into stages

Building a political brand: continuous, but stronger in relation to the group. Only in the pre-election stage are candidates launched (known and identified people and new, unknown people).

Stage of building lists and searching for funds

Organizational and financial problem of pre-campaign activities

The campaign lasts NON-STOP

Election campaign plan

It is important to prepare a list of tasks.

Divided into the most important (e.g., failure to complete which results in elimination from the election process), important and optional.

Tasks should be defined in time and specific people should be assigned to them.

The calendar should be agreed between the candidate and the staff.

In the case of many candidates - a problem of coordination arises

Team - people directly involved in the campaign

• Election Staff
• Volunteers (volunteers)
• Other people involved/helping

Team

• The number of team members depends on the possibilities (and indirectly on the nature of the campaign)
• The number of staff members MUST be limited and adjusted to the needs
• The number of volunteers - usually the more the better
• The number of other people involved - depends on the funds and possibilities (these are often specialists and advisors who receive a salary or are otherwise associated with the candidate/staff.

Election Staff

• People in whom the candidate (or the management of the organization at a given level) trusts
• Trust from the head of the campaign team is not essential, but its absence may ruin the campaign or its elements
• It is best to start building the campaign team (and the entire team) with the closest ones (family, friends) and with previous collaborators, especially those with whom you have cooperated on the political level.
• In a party, organization - experienced or specialized activists (from the executive or management department), employees (usually full-time employees)

Election Staff/Team

• How to start assembling a team?
• Sometimes the idea of ​​organizing a reception is suggested, but this is an inconvenient and risky solution for many reasons.
• Potential staff members and other people involved should be contacted directly by the candidate (or - the leader of the organization at a given level), and in the case of an organization's campaign, by the chief of staff or the leader of the organization.

Election Staff/Team

• Let's not expect a quick declaration from people from outside or related to the candidate in the case of a personnel campaign.
• We may have greater opportunities and expectations within the organization (full-time employees, activists), but the quality of the actions we will later obtain may vary greatly.
• After the first conversation with potential staff members, people involved and even the initial team of volunteers, it is worth organizing sector meetings

Sector meetings

• first of all, we select people for the team to create a concept of activities and have something to present to the next groups.
• It is worth organizing separate meetings for different forms of involvement (financial, organizational, etc.) due to different interests.
• Lastly (but multiple times if necessary) meetings with potential volunteers

Sector meetings

• Różne poziomy przekazywanych informacji - o ile potencjalni członkowie sztabu powinni wiedzieć jak najwięcej, to osoby np. mogące wesprzeć finansowo (lub rzeczowo - lokal, samochód) nie muszą posiadać pełni wiedzy.
• Tym dwóm grupom musimy ufać, a trochę inna sytuacja jest z wolontariuszami - jeśli są wśród nich osoby nowe (lub takie, których nie mogliśmy jeszcze sprawdzić), należy zachować ostrożność.

Sector meetings

po odpowiednich spotkaniach (w razie potrzeby kilkukrotnych) może pojawić się pytanie o konkretne wsparcie. W wypadku wolontariuszy - dużo wcześniej, tym bardziej, że w dużej mierze to oni będą się do nas zgłaszać (niekoniecznie wyłącznie z potrzeby serca i aktywności społecznej).

z zasady nie odmawiamy pomocy, ale są od tego wyjątki - szczególnie w sytuacji, gdy współpraca z jakąś osobą (lub organizacją) może spowodować straty wizerunkowe. W wypadku wolontariuszy, których nie chcemy angażować - można zastosować metodę wygaszenia kontaktu.

Election materials

• Materials that we will use to convey the message we are interested in to the voter,
• Their biggest advantage is the fact that their content depends solely on us (within the limits of the law, of course)
• However, it should be remembered that we do not have full control over the "further life" of the election materials and the message contained in them - for example, the competition may use our leaflet and the projects presented in it to show our lack of competence. We should also remember about materials of a mocking nature.

Election materials

• In the case of entities that already have a history of running in elections (especially at the national level, but also, for example, incumbents at the local level), it is possible to use materials created by a political competitor (in a given or previous campaign), for example, to undermine their credibility - e.g. a PO-PiS ad war.
• Materials, even in the form of a leaflet, do not disappear at the end of the campaign. In nature, NOTHING is lost - they can therefore become an argument in the hands of the competition used in a political fight during the term.

Election materials

• Materials in physical form (posters, leaflets, letters) and published in digital form (which enables quick search and processing) are particularly at risk of being used by competitors. For example, it is easier to find a leaflet for a candidate for the mayor of Łódź in 2014 than to find a spot published in these elections exclusively in the free band or exclusively on television and radio and not on the Internet.
• The above materials are also easier to use due to the possibilities of copying and processing.

Election materials

Three basic conditions that election materials should meet:

1. Readability

2. Attractiveness

3. Practicality

Election materials

Three basic conditions that election materials should meet:

1. Readability

• Maintaining the right proportion between form and content. A legible poster, leaflet or newspaper is therefore understandable, and at the same time attractive enough to attract the attention of the recipient.
• The theses contained in the materials should be simple, accessible to the average voter.
• We avoid specialist, sophisticated and complicated vocabulary - instead, simple, short sentences.

Election materials

Three basic conditions that election materials should meet:

1. Readability

• The graphic side of materials is very important - the simplest solutions are the best. Do not overdo it with loudness, a multitude of colors or fonts.
• As a standard, up to two fonts and three colors (apart from elements such as photos, of course). For example, if the background is white, the font is black and elements with special meaning are highlighted in blue.

Election materials

Three basic conditions that election materials should meet:

1. Legibility

• The colors used should contrast with each other.
• Remember that after printing, the effect will be slightly different than what we see on the computer screen! (a specialist will come in handy)
• Especially in the case of candidates from established groups - the colors should refer to the color identification of the group (e.g. to the logo)
• Legibility is enhanced by free spaces (e.g. on printed materials), so there is no need to fill them by force.

Election materials

Three basic conditions that election materials should meet:

2. Attractiveness

• Especially in the case of leaflets and newspapers - it is worth using photos (professional) and charts and other forms of graphic presentation (infographics!!). The times of text leaflets died with the 90s!
• We use only professional photos - the main photo of the candidate and additional photos (e.g. presenting him as a leader or head of the family) - also specially arranged.

Election materials

Three basic conditions that election materials should meet:

2. Attractiveness

• Especially in the case of leaflets - you gain from every form of innovation - a different, non-standard shape, introduction of 3-D elements, etc. This can also be used for billboards - let's learn from specialists in normal marketing (it is worth examining outdoor advertisements of car brands).

Election materials

Three basic conditions that election materials should meet:

3. Practicality

• When developing materials, one should ask oneself how this particular material will behave during distribution and what the consequences and possibilities will be resulting from the functioning of the material by the people distributing and receiving it.

Election materials

Three basic conditions that election materials should meet:

3. Practicality

• For example, a leaflet in the form of a business card can be supplemented with a list of the most important telephone numbers (112, 997, 999, etc.) or a calendar for the coming year.
• For parents of children aged 7+ (up to approx. 15), materials that include a schedule of classes/lessons will be practical.
• Caps are experiencing a renaissance on the right.

Election materials

Three basic conditions that election materials should meet:

3. Practicality

• A newspaper (and other materials that voters receive in their hands, but especially here) is associated with the risk of poor print quality - then it dirty the hands (important from the point of view of the reception of the people distributing and possible dirtiness and irritation of the recipient)

Election materials

Poorly prepared or ill-considered material can - instead of promoting us - harm us. Leaflets prepared especially for drivers of cars parked in Łódź housing estates (retkinia):

• They are very nice and will be warmly received, especially if you promise, for example, to expand parking spaces, and if you add, for example, an air freshener for the car, that's already something wonderful...

Election materials

Poorly prepared or ill-considered material can - instead of promoting us - harm us. Leaflets prepared especially for drivers of cars parked in Łódź housing estates (retkinia):

• UNLESS they are placed on cars at 5 AM, and at 5.30 it starts raining heavily, and the paper turns out to be of such poor quality that it sticks (really tightly!) to the windows.
• In such a situation, we are left with damage control.

Election materials

What information should appear in each material?

Candidate's surname (prominent, first name less)

The party from which the candidate is running

District number/number on the list

List number...?

Website address (currently it can be a FB page, but it is better to have a separate one), at least one profile on a social networking site (more is better, but updated!), possibly a messenger.

Albo YouTube etc.

Election materials

What information may appear on the materials

• Information about the election date and what kind of elections these are [!]
• Support for other candidates (others from the lists of the same group in other districts, but also, for example, a candidate for the Regional Assembly and a candidate for the mayor of the city by a candidate for the City Council or a candidate/candidates for the Senate by candidates for MP).
• Information about how and where to vote

Election materials

• Flyer
• Program brochure
• Election business card
• Newspaper
• Letter
• Term report
• Poster
• Outdoor advertising
• Election gadgets
• Election spots radio / TV / Internet
• ........

Direct campaign

• Communicating directly with a potential voter
• Communicating more or less directly (both 1 vs 1 conversation and 1 vs 400, or even 1 vs an unspecified crowd)
• No media intermediary
• Usually, the contact is one-off and unverifiable (or verifiable to a limited extent)

Direct campaign

• Collecting signatures
• Distribution of election materials
• Voter surveys
• Door to Door
• Voter meetings

Direct campaign

• Voter signatures may be necessary for candidate registration
• A very good tool also outside the above - one of the basic and most effective tools for showing the activity of a candidate/group and working for a specific idea or group of citizens
• Effect / rule of consequence - with signatures we take the first step to "binding" the voter with us

Direct campaign

• Different signature limits (from a dozen to 100,000)

• Important distinction between districts

• The Electoral Commission provides a number of exemptions from the obligation to present signatures, but it is not worth using them

• Regardless of the limit - it is better to collect as many signatures as possible

• approx. 30% should be considered invalid in advance

Direct campaign

• The most efficient way to collect signatures is in the vicinity of (PEDESTRIAN!) traffic routes and in places where large groups of people gather - e.g. markets, sometimes festivals, concerts, neighborhood picnics
• Necessary or at least useful elements: table, (chairs), (umbrella), sound system (megaphone)
• It is good if the stand is appropriately marked - roll-up, boards, and people collecting signatures equipped with "campaign work" clothing

Direct campaign

• Ensuring the correctness of the entered data
  PESEL - the penultimate digit responsible for gender, always 11 digits, YEAR-MONTH-DAY scheme (for those born after 2000 YEAR+20)
  It is worth remembering to enter the code and especially the NAME OF THE LOCALITY (in the case of local government elections or local legislative initiatives, this information can be printed on the card for collecting signatures)

Direct campaign

• It's not worth being pushy
• It's very likely that we'll meet opponents who will treat us as enemies. We should stay calm.
• But in a dangerous situation, we should notify the police/municipal guard
• Groups of 3+ people (larger with a large stream of potential recipients)

Direct campaign

• Collecting "incidentally" declarations of consent to receive election materials from voters.
• You can test it, but I would not recommend this solution.
• Collecting signatures using D2D - time-consuming, but in some cases it can be useful (Council elections in small municipalities)

Distributor of basic election materials

• Mainly leaflets (and similar materials) and gadgets
• The most effective and efficient way to distribute is to use the efforts of people involved, but on a large scale this is not 100% possible
• Spatial and time planning are important
• Verification cannot be forgotten

Distributor of basic election materials

• Groups of at least 2/3 people, and preferably larger if the candidate is present
• Traffic routes, festivals, events, markets, bus terminals
• It is important to match the time and form of communication (and e.g. gadget) to the place and recipients

(we do not hand out lighters at the lung disease clinic)

Kolportarz podstawowych materiałów wyborczych

• Distributors should be properly equipped:
  a map of the area (when distributing leaflets to mailboxes or doors)
• an appropriate supply of material
• badges with a logo or other distinguishing element (although doubts arise here)
• tools for communication with the coordinator
  authorizations (if required by law)

Survey of potential voters

• Skuteczne narzędzie nie tylko w toku kampanii ustawowej
• Różne formy - ulica, D2D
• Czy ankietować oparcie dla kandydata/ugrupowania? Lepiej sobie darować. Wyniki i tak będą w znacznej mierze bezużyteczne.
• Doskonałe narzędzie do zebrania informacji o głównych problemach
• Weryfikacja wyników, które ewentualnie zostaną ogłoszone jest niewykonalna

Door to Door

• Wyjątkowo skuteczne i przydatne narzędzie
• W każdych wyborach, ale powinno być wykorzystane w różnym stopniu i w różny sposób
• Największe znaczenie w wyborach radnych (szczególnie gmin), również Wójt/Burmistrz/Prezydent
• Ale nawet na Prezydenta RP warto wykorzystać jako event

At the end:

Regardless of the preparation of the campaign, the resources (including financial ones), the organization's banner or the candidate's name, one cannot forget about several laws of the structure of the universe

Regardless of our assumptions, we will NEVER be able to implement the campaign plan 100%

and EVEN IF we do, we will never be in a situation where nothing more could be done

and EVEN IF we manage to implement the plan and we couldn't do more, we still won't have access to such funds that we couldn't do it better

and EVEN IF we manage to implement the plan and we couldn't do more, we will somehow have access to such funds that it wouldn't be possible to do it better, we still won't use them due to limits

and EVEN IF we manage to implement the plan and we couldn't do more, we'll somehow have access to such funds that it couldn't be done better and somehow we won't be bound by limits, we'll never have the best candidate

and EVEN IF we manage to implement the plan and we couldn't do more, we will somehow have access to such funds that it couldn't be done better and somehow we won't be bound by limits and we will have the best candidate, we won't be able to predict all the actions of the competition and opponents

and EVEN IF we manage to implement the plan and we couldn't do more, we will somehow have access to such funds that it couldn't be done better and somehow we won't be bound by limits and we will have the best candidate and we will anticipate all the actions of the competition and opponents, we won't eliminate them and their voters

and EVEN IF we manage to implement the plan and we couldn't do more, somehow we will have access to such funds that it couldn't be done better and somehow we won't be bound by limits and we will have the best candidate and we will anticipate all the actions of the competition and opponents and even eliminate them and their voters, we won't convince everyone

and EVEN IF we manage to implement the plan and we couldn't do more, we will somehow have access to such funds that it couldn't be done better and somehow we won't be bound by limits and we will have the best candidate and we will anticipate all the actions of the competition and opponents and we will even eliminate them and their voters and convince all the voters...

We can never be sure of winning anyway

[if only because of the actual ineligibility of some candidates]