“Advanced” Campaign Strategy

Who am I?

Who are you?

Strategy is turning the resources you have into the power you need to

win the change you want.

Strategy is a verb. No really.

Strategy: Don’t do it alone.

Your “strategic capacity” is measured by the diversity of the experience of the people

who help make it.

       

Strategy Case Studies Change.org: Boy Scouts of America Campaign(s) GetUp!: Mental Health        

Broad brush strategy

Operational considerations

(eg SWOT)

Critical path analysis

Forcefield analysis

Tactics, tactics criteria

Campaign focus and

scope

Cutting the issue

Situational analysis

(eg STEEPLI)

Big picture political analysis

Theories & mechanisms of

change (eg MAP)Power mapping: targets, allies,

opponents, constituents

Campaign goals

Program logic, success

indicators

SMART objectives

Feedback mechanisms

Evaluation

Alliance building, coalitions,

partnerships

Messages & memes

Framing

Detailed strategy

Campaign communication

elements of strategy

Timeline and budget

Roles and responsibilities

The Change Agency specialises in designing and facilitating campaign strategy workshops. Our Strategising for Change resources can be downloaded from http://www.thechangeagency.org/01_cms/details.asp?ID=57

Some Strategy Tools • Cutting the Issue • Goals | Critical Path | Theory of Change

• Power Mapping | Force Fields • Message Boxing • Strategy Planning Grids • Data and Measurement

Cutting The Issue •  Consider how to cut this bigger

problem into smaller issues that have traction with (or appeal to) different targets, community groups and other audiences.

•  What are some ways that people interpret, respond to or campaign around the problem?

Cutting The Issue •  Consider how to cut this bigger

problem into smaller issues that have traction with (or appeal to) different targets, community groups and other audiences.

•  What are some ways that people interpret, respond to or campaign around the problem?

Campaign Goals •  SMART – what does a smart goal

look like in a campaign context •  Alinksy Paradox •  One decision, one decision

maker •  Campaign goals are wins on the

way to your vision.

Power Mapping •  Who can make the decision that

would win the change you want? •  Where do they stand? •  Who influences that person?

Where do they stand? •  Who else cares? Where do they

stand?  

More power / influence

More Opposed

More Supportive

More Powerful | Influential

Less Powerful | Influential

Message Boxes •  One way to think about key

messages for your campaign •  Draw four boxes and fill them up

in this order: 1.  Them on Them 2.  Them on Us 3.  Us on Them 4.  Us on Us  

Them  on  Them  

Them  on  Us     Us  on  Them  

Us  on  Us  

GRAND STRATEGYPICKING A

CAMPAIGN

CAMPAIGN

GOALS &

OBJECTIVES

ORG.

CONSIDERATIONS /

GOALS

CONSTITUENTS

AND ALLIES

OPPONENTS

AND

OBSTACLES

TARGETSCAMPAIGN

MESSAGETACTICS Time-Line

1. Describe the key,over-archingproblem

2. Long-term goal(10 years)

3. Platform: list thecore principles thatdefine any solutionyou will seek.

4. Background ofissue: votes,corporate stances,previous work onissue

5. Lay of the land ofpolitical power

6. Solution: define

the specificapproachnecessary tosolving theapproach

6. Avenues ofInfluence: Potentialsources of victory

A) LegislationB) LitigationC) CorporationsD) Persuasion

7. Critical Pathway

1. Opportunitiesdue to shifts inpower:

When targets arevulnerable (eg.Scandal, weakeningperson or company,close elections),change of frame(eg. 9/11, oil,security), newpolitical alignment(eg. Ross Perot’sgroup on trade,Right/left allianceon oil)

2. Scale ofenvironmentalimpact3. Widely felt

4. Deeply felt5. Right size / real6. Fits niche7. Is appropriatelydivisive8. Is winnable9. Servesconstituency(geographic orpeople)10. Urgency11. Meets long-termorganisational goals12. It fits in thecritical pathway13. Does it alterpower?

1. Reiterate long-term goals fromyour grandstrategy

2. Intermediategoals notnecessarilycovered in thiscampaign

3. Short termobjectives: Whatconstitutes victoryfor this campaign?How does thishelp you addressintermediate andlong-termobjectives?

Make them

SMART:

• Strategic• Measurable• Achievable• Realistic• Timeline

1. Does thiscampaign fit withinyour corecompetencies?2. List resources thatyou bring to thecampaign (i.e.money, # of staff,facilities, reputation,skills, relationships)3. What is the budgetfor the campaign?4. What do you needthat you don’t have towin?5. How can thiscampaign build yourorganisation towardsyour long-termorganisational goals?

Could be:

*Access to newsources of money*Build relationshipswith key playersthroughout country*Access to newreporters*Build newconstituencies*Compliment othercampaign efforts

5. What internalproblems must beaddressed in order toachieve victory?

1. Constituents:Who can youmobilise on thisissue? Who caresabout it?

*Who cares?*Who must dealw/problem?*What do theyachieve fromvictory?*What risks are theytaking by joiningyou?*What power dothey have overwho?

2. Allies*What are yourallies’ “bottom-

lines”?*How will you usecampaign to movethem in the rightdirection?*What resourcescan they bring?*What are yourallies doing now?

Who new can bebrought in?

*What does yourvictory costthem?*What will theydo/spend tooppose you?*How will theyrespond?*How strong arethey?*What will theysupport underwhatcircumstances?

ExternalObstacles:*Legal issues orthreats*Perception oforganisation*Others…

1. Choose a person(or a set of people),not an institution

Who has the powerto give you victory?What power do youhave over target?What power canyou obtain duringcampaign?

2. Power map target

What/whoinfluences thisperson? What levelof influence dothese individuals/institutions haveover your target?Consider your

relationships withthose who influencetarget. Consideryour opponents’access andinfluence.

If you can’t get tothe primary targetbut you can get to asecondary targetwho has power overthe primary thenpower map thesecondary target.

1. Message. What isthe one concise andcompelling phraseyou will repeatthroughout yourcampaign? Whatare the concisesupportingarguments for yourmessage?

2. Story. What is thestory that willconvey the issue toyour targets? Whoare the victims,villains and heroes?How does yourcampaign solvethis?

3. Does this

message motivateyour constituencies,allies and targets?

Framing – is yourmessage vulnerableto reframing?

Target audiences

Full messagedevelopment planhere – messagebox, etc…

Tactics are what you do toyour targets to get yourgoals

1.Consider targets, thenconsider yourconstituencies and allies.What tactics best useallies’ power in order toinfluence targets?

Tactics should be:A. In context ofcampaign/messageB. Flexible and creativeC. Directed at targetD. Within the experienceof participants andconstituents but outsideexperience of the targetsE. Backed up by a specificform of power

F. FUN!G. Inspirational to peopleviewingH. If people participating,is it efficiently replicated inkey areas?

Demands are tactical

Tactics can include:• Media Events• Direct actions• Direct communications• Public hearings• Strikes• Demos• Petitions• Boycotts• Elections• Lobbying• Press releases

Media planChart for picking,prioritising tactics

EscalatingTactics

Fixed dates andtimes

Account foroutside events,press hooks,sharedresources,contingencyplanning

Planning

Make plans foreach section ofcampaign(media,campaign,outreach,

research,actions,lobbying, etc…)and overlaythem to ensurethat it can all bedone

Plan backwards

!

!"#$%&'()"*+,%'-."

/0"12"3,+4(56"789%2":;<=>"?@$+,A5>"BC"";<;<D"

EFG/H"D/IJ/F<D"-&,+,%'-.GK,582+5-"""&&&2-$%&'(),+,%'-.2+5-!

!"#$%&'()*+#%,-(.'/+'%0-(12+/'(*L)'M"+@55($6A".5NM"$((N'>"L$88"$6")@$("+@,M)",(","AN$%'")5"%'9'85O$6A"()M,)'A.2"7'"(O'+$L$+2"C$()",88")@'"O5(($P$8$)$'(2"

"Q5,8("

RMA,6$S,)$56,8"?56($%'M,)$56("

?56()$)N'6)(>"*88$'(>"",6%"ROO56'6)("

"T,MA')("

"T,+)$+("

G2! C$()")@'"856AJ)'M-"5PU'+)$9'("5L".5NM"+,-O,$A62"

/2! V),)'")@'"$6)'M-'%$,)'"A5,8("L5M")@$("$((N'"+,-O,$A62"W@,)"+56()$)N)'("9$+)5M.X"

"

Y5&"&$88")@'"+,-O,$A6"

�! W$6"+56+M')'"$-OM59'-'6)"$6"O'5O8'Z("8$9'(X"

�! Q$9'"O'5O8'","('6('"5L")@'$M"5&6"O5&'MX"

�! *8)'M")@'"M'8,)$56("5L"O5&'MX"

"F2""W@,)"(@5M)J)'M-"5M"O,M)$,8"9$+)5M$'("+,6".5N"&$6",("()'O(")5&,M%".5NM"856AJ)'M-"A5,8X"

G2! C$()")@'"M'(5NM+'(")@,)".5NM"5MA,6$S,)$56"PM$6A(")5")@'"+,-O,$A62"B6+8N%'"-56'.>"6N-P'M"5L"(),LL>"L,+$8$)$'(>"M'ON),)$56>"+,69,((>"')+2"

W@,)"$(")@'"PN%A')>"$6+8N%$6A"$6J4$6%"+56)M$PN)$56(>"L5M")@$("+,-O,$A6X"

/2! C$()")@'"(O'+$L$+"&,.("$6"&@$+@".5N"&,6)".5NM"5MA,6$S,)$56")5"P'"()M'6A)@'6'%"P.")@$("+,-O,$A62"[$88"$6"6N-P'M("L5M"',+@\"

�! 1]O,6%"8',%'M(@$O"AM5NO""�! B6+M',('"']O'M$'6+'"5L"']$()$6A"8',%'M(@$O"

�! 7N$8%"-'-P'M(@$O"P,('"�! 1]O,6%"$6)5"6'&"+56()$)N'6+$'("

�! ^,$('"-5M'"-56'.""F2"" C$()"$6)'M6,8"OM5P8'-(")@,)"

@,9'")5"P'"+56($%'M'%"$L")@'"+,-O,$A6"$(")5"(N++''%2"

"

G2! W@5"+,M'(",P5N)")@$("$((N'"'65NA@")5"U5$6"$6"5M"@'8O")@'"5MA,6$S,)$56X"

�! W@5('"OM5P8'-"$("$)X"�! W@,)"%5")@'."A,$6"$L")@'."&$6X"

�! W@,)"M$(4(",M'")@'."),4$6AX"

�! W@,)"O5&'M"%5")@'."@,9'"59'M")@'"),MA')X"

�! B6)5"&@,)"AM5NO(",M'")@'."5MA,6$S'%X"

"/2! W@5",M'".5NM"5OO56'6)(X""�! W@,)"&$88".5NM"9$+)5M."+5()")@'-X"

�! W@,)"&$88")@'."%5_(O'6%")5"5OO5('".5NX"

�! Y5&"()M56A",M'")@'.X"�! Y5&",M'")@'."5MA,6$S'%X"

G2! `M$-,M."T,MA')(""*"),MA')"$(",8&,.(","O'M(562"B)"$("6'9'M",6"$6()$)N)$56"5M"'8'+)'%"P5%.2"

�! W@5"@,(")@'"O5&'M")5"A$9'".5N"&@,)".5N"&,6)X"

�! W@,)"O5&'M"%5".5N"@,9'"59'M")@'-X"

"/2" V'+56%,M."T,MA')(""�! W@5"@,("O5&'M"59'M")@'"O'5O8'"&$)@")@'"O5&'M")5"A$9'".5N"&@,)".5N"&,6)X"

�! W@,)"O5&'M"%5".5N"@,9'"59'M")@'-X"

[5M"',+@"),MA')>"8$()")@'"),+)$+(")@,)"',+@"+56()$)N'6)"AM5NO"+,6"P'()"N('")5"-,4'"$)("O5&'M"L'8)2""T,+)$+("-N()"P'"

�! B6"+56)'])2"�! [8']$P8'",6%"+M',)$9'2"�! a$M'+)'%",)","(O'+$L$+"),MA')2"

�! #,4'"('6('")5")@'"-'-P'M(@$O2"

�! 7'"P,+4'%"NO"P.","(O'+$L$+"L5M-"5L"O5&'M2"

"T,+)$+("$6+8N%'"

�! #'%$,"'9'6)(""�! *+)$56("L5M"$6L5M-,)$56",6%"%'-,6%("

�! `NP8$+"@',M$6A("�! V)M$4'("�! b5)'M"M'A$()M,)$56",6%"95)'M"'%N+,)$56"

�! C,&(N$)("�! *++5N6),P$8$)."('(($56("�! 18'+)$56("�! c'A5)$,)$56("

"

"

A quick note on Tactics •  You’re stuck in a room •  How to think of them (I use

power maps and Alinksy. Plus did you see the climate elephant?)

•  Value and Effort

(1) Power is not only what you have but what your enemy thinks you have.

(2) Never go outside the experience

of your people. (3) Wherever possible go outside

the experience of the enemy.      

(4) Make your enemies live up to their own book of rules.

(5) Ridicule is your most potent

weapon. (6) A good tactic is one that your

people enjoy.      

(7) A tactic that drags on too long becomes a

drag. (8) Keep the pressure on. (9) The threat is usually more terrifying than

the thing itself. (10) The major premise for tactics is the

development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure on the opposition.

     

(11) If you push a negative hard and

deep enough it will break through to its counterside.

(12) The price of a successful attack

is a constructive alternative. (13) Pick the target, freeze it,

personalize it, polarize it.      

Resources (for these slides and for you) • Saul Alinsky: Rules for Radicals • Marshall Ganz: Why David Sometimes

Wins • David Plouffe: The Audacity to Win • NewOrganizing.com • The Change Agency (James Whelan) • There’s an amazing book on the

Montgomery Bus Strike. • The Midwest Academy