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HANDBOOK ON POLITICAL COMMUNICATION
A GUIDE PRESENTED BY THEKONRAD-ADENAUER-STIFTUNG
Publisher
konrad-adenauer-stiftung e.V.
this guide was originally edited by the
Belgrade office of the konrad-adenauer-stiftung,
kralja Petra 1, 11 00 Belgrade
tel.: +381 11 3285 209 | Fax: +381 11 3285 329
the title of the original volume was
Handbuch für Politische Kommunikation.
Translation
WB-Communication, germersheim, Federal republic of germany
Editor
dr. karsten grabow
department international Cooperation
konrad-adenauer-stiftung e.V.
d-10907 Berlin
www.kas.de
© 2010, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V., Sankt Augustin/Berlin
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any
means, electronically or mechanically, without written permission of the
publisher.
TAblE of conTEnTS
7 | introduCtion
8 | chAPTEr 1: AnAlySES And PlATformS
1.1 ‘You will not catch the others napping’ .........................8
1.1.1 What is the local/national situation? ............................8
1.1.2 How is your party set up? ..........................................9
1.1.3 How are the other parties set up? .............................10
1.2 the platform: we want to convince people .................10
12 | chAPTEr 2: ThE fundAmEnTAlS
2.1 nominating candidates ............................................12
2.1.1 Deadlines and timeframes ........................................12
2.1.2 Electoral laws and party statutes ..............................12
2.1.3 Your first move in the campaign ...............................13
2.2 Finances and legal framework conditions....................13
2.2.1 Budgeting; finance committee ..................................13
2.2.2 Soliciting donations successfully ...............................13
2.2.3 Receipt and certification of donations ........................16
2.3 events ..................................................................17
2.3.1 Permits .................................................................17
2.3.2 Charges ................................................................17
2.3.3 Insurance ..............................................................18
2.4 appendices to Chapter 2 ..........................................18
19 | chAPTEr 3: cI And PromoTIon mATErIAl
3.1 Corporate identity: Ci at election time .......................19
3.1.1 The logo ................................................................19
3.1.2 The font ................................................................20
3.1.3 The colours ............................................................20
3.2 implementing the Ci ...............................................20
3.2.1 Implementation options ...........................................20
3.2.2 Show coherence .....................................................20
3.3 Promotion material for your party .............................21
3.3.1 Sympathy advertising and gifts.................................21
3.3.2 Print products ........................................................21
22 | chAPTEr 4: your PArTy hEAdquArTEr’S SErvIcES
4.1 the duties and services of your party’s headquarters ...22
a: Candidate services .............................................22
4.2 Posters ..................................................................22
4.2.1 Candidate posters ...................................................22
4.2.2 Other posters .........................................................23
4.2.3 Posting equipment on the spot .................................24
4.3 Candidate prospectuses and personal promotion
material ................................................................24
4.3.1 Photo appointments ................................................24
4.3.2 Candidate posters ...................................................25
4.3.3 Candidate prospectuses ...........................................25
4.3.4 Personal promotion material .....................................25
4.3.5 Contacts at your party’s headquarters .......................25
4.4 Basic kit ................................................................26
4.5 local deployment of large posters .............................26
4.6 appearances of prominent politicians as speakers .......27
4.6.1. Speakers as stellar attractions in a campaign .............27
4.6.2 Organisation ..........................................................27
B: additional offerings .................................................28
4.7 the internet ...........................................................28
4.7.1 The intranet ...........................................................28
4.7.2 Campaign offerings for candidates on the internet .......29
4.7.3 Public internet appearance .......................................29
4.7.4 Candidate homepages .............................................31
4.8 online print portal ..................................................33
34 | chAPTEr 3: cI And PromoTIon mATErIAl
5.1 Basic planning:
finances – themes – promotion material – events........34
5.2 Campaign preparations ............................................34
5.2.1 Campaign committee ..............................................34
5.2.2 Your advertising appearance ....................................35
5.2.3 Teams and supporters .............................................35
5.2.4 Finances ................................................................37
5.2.5 Scheduling .............................................................37
5.2.6 Own events ...........................................................38
5.2.7 Target group ..........................................................38
5.2.8 Returns and voter potential ......................................39
5.3 the team of supporters ...........................................39
5.3.1 Benefits for registered supporters .............................40
5.3.2 Deployment of volunteers ........................................40
5.4 the ‘campaign run-up‘ .............................................42
5.4.1 Mobilising members ................................................43
5.4.2 Presenting candidates .............................................43
5.5. local campaign strategies ........................................45
5.5.1 Analysing the local political situation .........................45
5.5.2 Statistical foundations .............................................47
5.5.3 Public opinion and attitudes .....................................48
5.5.4 Your candidate versus the political opponent:
analysing strengths and weaknesses .........................49
5.6 activities: sympathy advertising .............................. 50
5.6.1 Events provide topics of conversation:
meetings, campaigns, summer activities ....................50
5.6.2 Event formats ........................................................50
5.6.3 Sympathy advertising..............................................51
5.6.4 Special activities .....................................................52
5.6.5 Information events .................................................53
5.6.6 Target groups ........................................................53
5.6.7 Creating settings ....................................................55
5.7 Canvassing ............................................................55
5.7.1 Activities at information stands .................................55
5.7.2 Theme-related activities at information stands ............56
5.7.3 Checklist for activities at your canvassing stand ..........56
5.8 the hot campaign phase ..........................................57
5.8.1 Mobilising members ................................................57
5.8.2 Mobilising voters .....................................................57
5.8.3 Making contact by letter or e-mail .............................58
5.8.4 Telephone marketing...............................................59
61 | chAPTEr 6: APPEndIx
6.1 Media work ............................................................61
6.1.1 The basic rules of media relations .............................61
6.1.2 Relations with the media .........................................61
6.1.3 Media work is contact work ......................................62
6.1.4 Use the entire range of media wherever possible! .......62
6.1.5 Journalists need information.....................................62
6.1.6 Press releases ........................................................62
6.1.7 Creating and updating press mailing lists ...................63
6.1.8 Closing times .........................................................63
6.1.9 Photos ..................................................................64
6.2 Forms of media work ...............................................64
6.2.1 Advance announcements .........................................64
6.2.2 Event reports .........................................................64
6
6.2.3 Press releases ........................................................64
6.2.4 Interviews .............................................................65
6.2.5 Letters to the editor ................................................67
6.2.6 Tips and tricks from the tool kit ................................67
6.2.7 Sample press release ..............................................70
6.3 Planning and designing advertisements......................70
6.4 Checklists, guides, and other material .......................71
6.5 Follow-up ..............................................................83
6.5.1 Safeguarding majorities ...........................................83
6.5.2 Thank your helpers and voters .................................83
6.5.3 Election review and analysis .....................................83
6.6 idea market: 100 ideas until election day...................84
6.6.1 Children and adolescents, school and leisure time .......84
6.6.2 For people of all ages: leisure, sports, and more .........85
6.6.3 Local activities........................................................85
6.6.4 Environmental protection .........................................86
6.6.5 Having fun together ................................................86
6.6.6 Special activities .....................................................87
6.6.7 Security policy .......................................................87
6.6.8 Art, culture, research, and the internet for
people of all ages ...................................................87
6.6.9 Other matters ........................................................87
6.7 Contacts, addresses, and links ..................................88
6.7.1 Contacts ................................................................88
6.7.2 Party organisations .................................................88
6.7.3 The internet as a source of information ......................88
6.7.4 Bibliography ...........................................................89
�
InTroducTIon
dear reader,
this handbook is designed to assist you in communicating with people as well
as in preparing and running election campaigns. no matter whether you are in
between elections or facing national or local polls – there are some rules and
tips which you should bear in mind.
this handbook addresses not only party leaders and headquarters but also local
party organisations and candidates. on the one hand, it contains suggestions
and ideas about what the headquarters of your party might offer its members
and, in case elections are at hand, its candidates. on the other hand, it assists
the sub-organisations and candidates of your party in further enhancing their
commitment to party work and in preparing systematically for the next election
campaign.
You should use this guide as a loose-leaf folder: pick whatever chapter suits
you and adapt it to your situation. What suggests itself, for example, is that
your party should apply the content of chapter 1 to the current situation,
conduct an analysis, and present its platform. However, the other chapters
will similarly have to be modified to suit the capabilities and structure of your
party. Most importantly, you should put your own names and numbers in the
place of the fictitious ones that appear in blue in the ‘tips’ boxes. Party head-
quarters should always aim to provide services to their candidates.
there is one rule that applies to every election: as important global trends may
be, polls are decided first and foremost by committed party work down to the
lowest local level. it is a truism that campaigning begins right after an election
is over. this means that party work must be done throughout the legislative
period. especially that part of the handbook which deals with campaigns, press
relations, and the internet retains its validity irrespective of elections. Moreover,
information about contact addresses and legal matters should similarly be
executed by you so that it remains useful after the election is over.
Wishing you the best of success with this handbook and hoping that it will
guide you well, we remain,
With kind regards,
Yours
konrad-adenauer-stiftung
8
CHaPter 1: analYses and PlatForMs
1.1 ‘you wIll noT cATch ThE oThErS nAPPIng’
The starting point is the message.
You want to win an election. this means that voters must know why they should vote
for you and none other. it is you who must provide the reasons, meaning that you
need a message.
you will not catch the others napping.
other parties, too, are anxious to win votes. they too have a message. Consequently,
you have to analyse what the others’ messages will probably contain, and whether
the voter will be able to distinguish your own message from those of the others. in
the process, you should concentrate on your most important competitor.
1.1.1 what is the national/local situation?
Knowing the situation
For your party to make a successful appearance, the first thing you need to know is
the environment within which you are campaigning. What exercises the people? What
are their worries? What changes have been happening in recent years? are there any
topical or specifically local issues of particular relevance?
Analysis
a comprehensive analysis will be needed before you can answer these questions. Be
honest with yourself and your party. describing things as better than they actually are
does not make sense, for if you do, people will think you do not understand them.
You should also include in your analysis the specific conditions prevailing in your
country and/or municipality. there is a difference between campaigning in a big city
and campaigning in the country. similarly, you will want to address not one but sev-
eral segments of the population.
Issues
analyses related to national elections need to be particularly extensive. You will be
well advised to begin with those issues that are of the greatest relevance to the
people. Very frequently, they relate to the economic situation, the standard of living,
and employment. these are the factors on which the people’s satisfaction mainly
depends. needless to say, social questions belong here, too: what developments have
taken place in the social security system, the support of families and the elderly? the
educational system is yet another eminent topic: what about the quality of schools
and universities? Moreover, there are always special issues to be included in your
analysis, such as outstanding events in foreign politics or the life situation of specific
groups of the population like minorities or refugees.
9
Positive and invigorating description
at this point, you should note down your analysis for your party and/or your cam-
paign staff to ensure that the activities of your own team are based on identical
premises. try to make your description positive. People need encouragement. if you
paint for them a picture that is all black, they will feel discouraged, and you will come
across as unattractive. talk of challenges rather than problems.
1.1.2 how is your party set up?
The situation
once again, you need to be honest in your analysis. What is the standing of your
party at the national level? and, if it has been in government, to what extent has it
made good on its promises? How much has it achieved since the last election? at this
point, you should include a detailed description of your party’s achievements. obvi-
ously, what you should highlight at campaign time is positive things. talk of those
successes that positively affected the people in the street. if you have been in opposi-
tion, analyse your work there. Has your party been visible? What were its main is-
sues? What concrete proposals did you put on the table?
campaign capability and organisation
it is imperative to know your own capabilities. You may give birth to brilliant ideas,
but if you do not have the capacity to put them into practice they will be ultimately
worthless. the first thing you need to check is the organisation of your party. are its
communication pathways efficient and functional? are internal competences clearly
and unambiguously defined? is there adequate funding? needless to say, these con-
siderations are your own and should not be enumerated in a handbook of this kind.
But as campaign capability is crucial, you should review it thoroughly before any
election.
Strategy
there is no fight without a strategy. as campaigns are normally linked to fighting,
your party must fight. For this purpose, it needs to develop a strategy. What is the
public image of your party? Which will be its campaign themes? What measures are
to be taken, and when? Who is your main competitor, and how is your party dealing
with it? these, too, are matters that should be considered by the executive of your
party and/or the campaign teams of its candidates, although in this case they will be
discussed in broad outline in this Handbook in order to enable your members to
understand and support the steps taken by the executive and the candidates.
motivation
one of the outstanding objectives in preparing a campaign should be to motivate your
own members to engage in the contest as best they can. this is why, at this juncture,
you should name all the reasons why your own party is the better alternative. Your
comprehensive analysis of the situation in the country and in your party will have
furnished a sound foundation for that. Clearly state the point of the campaign. Bring
matters to a head by setting your party up as an alternative. Highlight your own
competences and candidates. only if you can totally convince your own members will
you be able to convince others.
10
1.1.3 how are the other parties set up?
The situation
You should know everyone who is joining the contest besides you. Here as before,
you need to look critically at their capacities and competences. it is not enough
simply to shrug them off in the firm belief in your own superiority. thoroughly analys-
ing strengths and weaknesses forms part of the preparations for any election. When
you have arrived at this point in the Handbook, therefore, you should describe all
relevant parties in detail under the headings given below.
objectives/organisation
the first thing you should look at is the way in which the other parties are organised.
it is good to analyse them in concrete terms and to name their most important
personages because this constitutes an important source of information for party
members. it is enough to include only those parties who are currently represented in
parliament or have good prospects of being voted in.
next, you should glance at the parties’ objectives. What are their campaign themes?
What are the ambitions of your competitors as regards their own performance?
Strategy
the other parties, too, will try to pursue their own strategies, which will certainly
include various moves that are predictable. some parties may want to distance them-
selves from others and/or from certain contents. other parties may name their future
coalition partners in the run-up. opposition parties are often suspected of entering
the contest without, as far as possible, making any concrete statements so that they
cannot be held to them later on.
in each case, you should analyse and enumerate the themes you expect, accom-
panied, if possible, by pithy counterarguments.
Stocktaking
under this heading, you should list the results achiev-ed by the other parties so far.
Where an opposition party is concerned, you can at least describe its position in
various political fields. Major issues include, for example, the job situation, economic
development, social systems, taxes and finances, education, security, and foreign
policy.
1.2 ThE PlATform: wE wAnT To convIncE PEoPlE
now is the time for you to show your colours. What does your election platform
contain?
the electorate expects you to supply answers to the most important questions. While
your platform should follow the general guidelines in your party’s programme, you will
obviously have certain concrete plans for the coming sessions. You cannot change the
world from the ground up within a single legislative period; instead, you should you
set yourself objectives that are as concrete as possible.
11
all related messages must be clear and comprehensible. Your objectives should be
realistic, and they should concern issues that are of absolute priority to the people.
do not hesitate to consult opinion polls to make sure that you pick the right issues.
the issues that emerge as crucial in the process will be those on which the analysis
was based which you conducted in the preceding Chapter (in our example: jobs,
economic development, social system, taxes and finances, education, security, foreign
policy). as a party claiming a share in government and in the vote of large segments
of the population, you need to present a platform that is consistent and extensive. let
the voters know where they are with you.
at the same time, only a few issues will be of importance in the election contest
proper. Please remember: less is often more! You should give close consideration to
the number of issues you can address in your campaign. Your solution proposals
should be credible and understandable. You should concentrate on no more than
three general themes. Make sure that your language is simple. give reasons for your
projects and solution proposals.
12
CHaPter 2: tHe FundaMentals
2.1 nomInATIng cAndIdATES
there are legal regulations applying to the nomination of candidates, including
timeframes,
formal regulations for the nomination of candidates, and
formal regulations for the submission of election proposals.
2.1.1 deadlines and timeframes
the regular legislative period of a national or local parliament is fixed at a certain
number of years, often four. the timeframes for compiling and submitting lists and
election proposals are laid down in the electoral code (see appendix).
When an early election is called, relevant deadlines will be published by the returning
officer in good time.
2.1.2 Electoral laws and party statutes
the compilation of lists for a national or local election is governed by strict prescrip-
tions, which are to be found in the electoral code.
at all events, you should observe the following principles:
any person may stand who is of age on the election date and is entitled to vote and
stand for election. Candidates must agree to stand in writing.
the statutes of a party specify whether candidates are to be nominated by a
general assembly or an assembly of delegates, together with the matrix on which
the composition of delegates will be based.
any nomination assembly must be preceded by a written invitation issued by the
party chairman (state and/or county chairman).
the proceedings of such an assembly must be recorded. For this purpose, printed
forms should be prepared to ensure consistency, unless such forms are made
available by the returning officer in charge.
election proposals must conform to the formal requirements laid down in the law
(names, party designations).
Make sure that any proposals submitted are immediately checked for flaws so
as to leave enough time for any necessary corrections.
Please observe the regulations laid down in the rules of procedure at all
times.
The electoral code is to be found at: www.xxx.xx
If you have any legal questions regarding the elections, contact
Mr John DoePhone: xxxxxFax: xxxxxE-mail: [email protected]
13
2.1.3 your first move in the campaign
Candidates are nominated at events in which a large proportion of your party’s mem-
bers will participate. this is why you should take advantage of these events as an
important milestone on your way to election. invite your members in conformance
with your party’s statutes.
Your preparation for the meeting should be such that you can turn it into a successful
media event. You should also use it as a forum for presenting your party’s platform
briefly and concisely.
2.2 fInAncES And lEgAl frAmEworK condITIonS
2.2.1 budgeting; finance committee
as you begin your campaign, you should draw up a budget:
What financial resources will be available to you?
What expenditures will you have to meet?
to raise additional funds, you may set up a finance committee to plan the necessary
moves. its members should include
your treasurer,
local and regional mandate holders, and
representatives of the economy.
Whatever you do to solicit donations, please adhere strictly to the rules laid down in
the party law!
2.2.2 Soliciting donations successfully
in the following, we have compiled a few ideas to help you solicit donations success-
fully and address your members and supporters adequately.
use all the communication channels that are available to you.
an address database, carefully updated, is crucial for the success of a fundraising
campaign. You should enter the names and addresses of donors as well as potential
future sponsors in a database (e.g. an eXCel spreadsheet).
Very important: see to it that styles, names, and addresses are exactly right and
always up to date! the people you are approaching will be much less ready to
donate money if the address on the letter they receive is faulty.
Before you write to a company, phone in to ask for the name of your contact and
his/her function in the enterprise. When soliciting donations, never write a letter
that begins with ‘dear sir or Madam’.
If you have any legal questions about finances, contact
Mr John DoePhone: xxxxxFax: xxxxxE-mail: [email protected]
14
make personal contact
again and again, we find that companies as well as private persons are not particu-
larly ready to part with money. this is why person-to-person contacts are so impor-
tant for the success of a fund-raising campaign. For this reason, either the candidates
themselves or – this is even more successful sometimes – personages who are well
known locally should endeavour to make personal contact with potential donors.
Pay a personal visit.
if necessary, make an appointment.
Promote your candidates.
explain the objectives of your party.
in personal contacts, it is highly important to specify the purpose of the donation:
name at least one concrete project for which the money will be used.
also specify the total cost and purpose of the
project.
offer alternative projects whenever possible.
You should seek personal contacts wherever there is a prospect of a major donation.
fund-raising letters
While fund-raising letters are not as personal as face-to-face contacts, they are the
obvious solution whenever large target groups are to be addressed, such as
the members of your party,
club executives, or
industry confederations.
Please make sure that the person you wish to address – or have addressed – by
name does not appear on the distribution list of your fund-raising letter.
general requests for donations
there are other options besides concrete personal requests, including
asking for donations in circulars and mailings,
appealing for donations in your publications,
e.g. your newsletter,
if you are running a phone-in campaign to mobilise members and voters, asking on
the phone for donations for your campaign,
mentioning the subject of donations in your activities and events, and
soliciting donations on your internet webpage.
once again, it is true that many people will come to regard a donation as more inter-
esting and ‘palpable’ if, instead of asking for abstract sums, you offer concrete ‘elec-
tion packages’.
15
examples:
ask for a donation in the value of 100 candidate
posters or flyers.
ask for a donation for a set of materials (postcards, brochures, etc.) for a specific
campaign.
Sponsoring
sponsoring is another option to obtain funds to finance your events. thus, for exam-
ple, you might ask a restaurant operator to sponsor one of your events by providing
food and beverages free of charge, in return for which he will be given an opportunity
to advertise his restaurant at your event. the same holds true for invitations, publica-
tions, or advertisements. However, please observe all applicable legal regulations in
sponsoring partnerships as well as elsewhere, and if you have any questions, contact
your finance commissioner.
Time donations
every donation counts: you will probably be as grateful for donations of time as you
are happy about donations of money.
ask for volunteers for your campaign team among your members and supporters.
after all, unpaid assistance will save you cash.
a great deal of honorary campaign work which used to be nearly taken for granted is
now being outsourced to paid agents including, for example,
putting up posters,
distributing promotion material,
organising events, and
catering/snacks.
in any campaign, volunteers on the spot will save you cash.
Extra tip
recruit young or new members to help you. Many pupils, trainees, students, pension-
ers, and unemployed persons are hard put to find the money they need to pay their
membership dues.
Having previously consulted your county branch, you might offer to remit the dues of
these people for up to one year. Your volunteers, your county branch, and your candi-
dates all stand to benefit from this.
The ‘thank-you’
You should make donations as attractive as possible for the members and supporters
of your party by, for example, offering them some ‘added value’ in return for their
donation. You might grade your token of appreciation depending on the amount
donated – a system that has been successfully implemented in american fund-raising
campaigns for a long time.
If you have any questions about sponsoring, pleace contact your party’s fincance commissioner Expert, 321478965
If you have any legal questions about financing, please contact
Mr John DoePhone: xxxxxFax: xxxxxE-mail: [email protected]
16
a sample grading system we have developed for you follows below. needless to say,
the way you deal with donations and the offers you make to your donors will depend
on the human and financial resources available to you on the spot.
Donations up to XXX euros
the donor will receive a letter of appreciation and a donation certificate.
a small giveaway will be enclosed in the letter. the donor will be informed about
current campaigns and activities by letter or e-mail.
Donations up to XXX euros
in addition to the above, the donor will receive a phone call from a member of the
campaign team and a ‘certificate of honour’ as a ‘major supporter of the campaign’.
a quality giveaway will be enclosed in the letter.
after the campaign is over, you should invite all donors to a little stand-up reception
to thank them personally.
Donations above XXX euros
in addition to the above, the donor will receive a per-sonal invitation to talk over a
meal with the candidate for the constituency in which he lives.
as a special highlight, you may try, after the campaign is over, to invite one of your
‘top politicians’ to attend the meal.
unusual donations may be rewarded by inviting the donor to visit parliament.
But: take care
to avoid the impression that donated funds are pent on such tokens of gratitude.
Make sure that your thank-you is highly personalised.
A concluding remark
do not hesitate to ask for a second or third donation from donors who have previously
given you money to support your campaign. in these cases, however, it is very impor-
tant to address such donors different-ly: begin by thanking them for the donation
already received and go on to explain why you are asking for their support once
again. never address multiple donors by mass circulars whose formulation does not
differ from appeals to first-time donors!
2.2.3 receipt and certification of donations
Make sure that donations are never given in cash. keeping tabs on donation receipts
is easiest if they are paid into a separate campaign bank account. this will also help
you to ensure conformance with applicable legal regulations. all donation receipts
must be documented. the persons authorised to certify donations are identified in
the party funding act (see appendices and Chapter 2.4).
You will find information about legal regulations for handling donations on the internet at www.xxx.xx
If you have any legal questions regarding finances, please con-tact
Mr John DoePhone: 87654321E-mail: [email protected]
1�
2.3 EvEnTS
applicable legal regulations must be observed whenever public events are held.
2.3.1 Permits
in most cases, no permit is required for holding a public event at a location owned by
the organiser or a restaurant.
events held in public squares or at public locations must be approved by the munici-
pal office in charge. applications for such permits should be submitted early.
as a general rule, special permits are required for any sale of food and particularly for
serving alcoholic beverages. You may also need a valid health certificate.
once again, you need to apply early for these permits. Contact the office in charge.
2.3.2 charges
no charges are levied for playing music publicly during an event held by a political
party. However, you may be required to report such use of music in advance. inform
yourself early.
2.3.3 Insurance
events held by a political party will be covered by its third-party insurance if the party
itself holds such insurance, and if the celebration/event is related to a party’s statutes
or its business. in other words: any bodily injury or property damage suffered by
third parties during an event – or during a campaign – will be covered by your party’s
third-party insurance.
You should check in advance whether your party has taken out such insurance.
any damage caused by cars during a campaign will be covered by the owner’s liability
insurance. Your party does not carry collision damage insurance.
Please check in the run-up what kind of insurance your party is carrying. You may
have to take out additional insurance for the duration of the campaign.
Please remember:
if you intend to rent or borrow expensive stage or sound equipment you should
consider taking out an electronics insurance for claims related to damage or loss.
Many insurances do not cover damage caused by the use of a motor vehicle in set-
up work or for the transport of guests, for instance. such damage will be covered
only by your own motor-vehicle insurance or that of the person who caused the ac-
cident.
You will be liable for hats and coats only if you take them into your special charge.
Answers to questions on insurance coverage will be given by Jane Doe, 99998765 E-Mail: [email protected]
Further information you will find on the internat at www.xxx.xx
18
guests will be liable for any damage they cause. Claims will be settled by the guest
personally or by his private liability insurance. However, it frequently happens that
damage caused to a building by vandalism is discovered only after the person who
caused it has disappeared without trace. as damage of this kind is generally exempt
from insurance coverage, the organiser will have to pay for it although he did not
cause it.
the organiser of an event may not necessarily be held responsible for damage in
the vicinity, such as collisions in the parking lot or protests from neighbours.
if a guest or member inflicts damage on himself (e.g. by dirtying his jacket while
setting up a stand), there will be no compensation because the damage was self-
inflicted.
if your event is scheduled to take place in a public square, the municipality may
be responsible for ensuring traffic safety by, for instance, securing existing bicycle
racks or traffic signs.
the party will not be liable for injuries sustained in sport contests.
a dedicated insurance can be taken out in case an event has to be cancelled
because of bad weather, a power failure, or the sudden illness of an artist.
2.4 APPEndIcES To chAPTEr 2:
electoral code (please insert here)
Party funding act (please insert here)
19
CHaPter 3: Ci and ProMotion Material
3.1 corPorATE IdEnTITy: cI AT ElEcTIon TImE
the success of a campaign largely depends on successful advertising. to this end,
your party should display a consistent overall appearance in order to enhance the
recognition effect as far as possible. use labels and slogans by which people can
identify you, your party, and its core competences.
Your website as well as posters, brochures, and ad-vertising material promoting your
party and its candidates should display a clearly recognisable advertising line.
For the reasons given below, your party should have a common Ci at election time:
a consistent national image will strengthen the presence of your party.
it impressively documents your party’s spirit of
togetherness and unity.
a party’s Ci might be formed from the following elements:
logo
Font
Colours
Presenting a consistent face to the world, a logo is flexible enough to absorb ad-
ditional design elements and local characteristics.
if your party’s Ci has been successfully introduced in national elections, local cam-
paigners should use it too, adding regional features.
By all means explain your current Ci on the website
of your party and make it accessible to your members. a Cd-roM containing all
requisite print templates and technical details such as colour ids, fonts, and logos
should be made available to your party’s sub-organisations in good time.
3.1.1 The logo
the logo is the mark that distinguishes your party immediately from the others. it
should be easy to grasp, and it should motivate people to identify with your party.
You might use the letters of your party’s name and shape them so that they stand out
and are clearly perceivable. the letters should radiate strength and dynamism. they
must be unique in the entire party landscape.
You might leave some space in the logo for regional organisations to express their
identity by placing their own symbols, coats of arms, etc. in it. this ensures that your
logo remains unique even if additional signets are used.
You should put the CI and its explanation on the internet and provide users with an opportunity for downloading. Tell users how to find the CI on your website.
Questions about the CI and your campaign line should be answered by an employee at party headquarters. Specify...
20
3.1.2 The font
like the logo, the font should be designed to promote recognition and a consistent
image. Make sure that one and the same font is used for all materials and print work.
Your font, too, must be accessible to party members at all times, which is why it
should be put on your party’s intranet.
3.1.3 The colours
By and large, what has been said about the Ci applies to colours as well. they, too,
assist recognition and identification. Your main colour must be ubiquitous enough for
you to be associated with it at all times.
remember to give consideration to the meanings and effects that are ascribed to
certain colours.
avoid using colours which already have a political meaning.
3.2 ImPlEmEnTIng ThE cI
3.2.1 Implementation options
in a campaign, it is imperative to implement your Ci. try to make this clear to all
your county branches and candidates. Your Ci should be consistently applied in those
media that are most important in an election campaign:
Posters
Brochures and leaflets
Flyers
Moreover, we recommend using it in your own ‘everyday’ communications in
correspondence,
press relations, and
on the internet
if you have not done so before.
You should have a fixed internet address under which you offer blueprints for
Ci-conformable internet pages.
3.2.2 Show coherence
it is of the utmost importance for all county branches and candidates to conform to
the party’s corporate image in a campaign! this is the only way to ensure that any
citizen can identify a poster, a brochure, or a flyer as belonging to your party by
merely glancing at it.
there is no other way to make sure that people will recognise local advertisements as
reflecting the image of your party as it appears on television or in news-papers and
journals.
You will find the party’s font on the internet at www.party.xx
21
only thus can you succeed in making people recognise certain symbols and colours as
belonging to your party.
3.3 PromoTIon mATErIAl for your PArTy
to ensure that your party’s advertising policy is implemented as consistently and
cost-efficiently as possible, ask your members to make use of the range of attractive
promotion materials designed to reflect your party’s image, which your headquarters
should provide at a fair price. developing a private logo would be complicated and
expensive, to say nothing of a private range of posters and brochures. the money
which candidates and county branches would have to raise for such a purpose can be
used more effectively in other campaign activities.
3.3.1 Sympathy advertising and gifts
the promotion material used by your in any campaign should be up to date. all major
giveaways must be available with the current corporate image.
elementary giveaways include
toy balloons,
ball-point pens, and
lighters.
3.3.2 Print products
in an election campaign, print products are important because they highlight specific
themes and assist in argumentation.
on the one hand, you need to ensure that your members and campaigners are up to
date on crucial issues. this purpose is served by argumentation aids that present the
most important issues in concise and understandable terms: the problem – the solu-
tion offered by your key political opponent – your own solution. such aids provide an
excellent opportunity to sum up the statements made in your election platform on
certain focal issues in a manageable format, on small graphs, for instance, so that
they are always on hand.
at the same time, you need to get your messages across to the voters. in this task,
small flyers or brochures containing slogans on your campaign issues may be a great
help. such flyers may either present birds-eye views or address specific issues.
On your intranet, your should have a comprehensive list of the campaign
promotion materials you are offering, together with their price, to enable
your members and county branches to plan their campaign.
Please note: You should continually update your party’s homepage to indi-cate current campaigns and acti-vities. Moreover, you should send e-circulars to your county branch-es and candidates to inform them about new campaigns and activi-ties. Any such information should be accompanied by order forms for action materials.
All current promotion materials and special offers should be on sale in the e-shop of your member network.
You should name a contact at your headquarters to answer any questions members may have about your offer.
22
CHaPter 4: Your PartY Headquarters’ serViCes
4.1 ThE duTIES And SErvIcES of your PArTy’S
hEAdquArTErS
legal framework conditions and some general subjects related to elections have been
addressed in chapters one to three.
For your campaign to be successful, however, the party as such should offer a com-
prehensive range of services to your members and campaigners on the spot. For one
thing, this greatly helps to safeguard the consistency of your image. For another,
good service is instrumental in saving considerable amounts of money and time. You
should present the range of services you are offering in this Handbook. What you will
find below are merely a few suggestions as to how such services might be designed
and what they might consist of.
You should publish any and all campaign information on the intranet of your party
for your candidates and members. the intranet should be your forum for information
and services. a truly diverse range of services should include posters, brochures,
guest speakers, gifts, political documentations, flyers, and an online service.
The candidate hotline
in addition to your intranet, you might set up a telephone hotline for providing infor-
mation and assistance quickly and without reference to a computer.
A: cAndIdATE SErvIcES
4.2 Posters
although they are veteran tools, posters have no equal in signalling presence and
conveying information about issues, contents, and persons. especially when a cam-
paign is in its final phase, posters are indispensable to mobilise not only your electoral
base but also swing and undecided voters.
4.2.1 candidate posters
all your party’s candidates must be kept present in the minds of all citizens through
the medium of individualised posters.
even in a purely proportional system without constituencies or direct candidates you
should consider how to give a face to your party. Policies are made by people for
people. a party will be identified with any person who advocates a certain policy. the
more concrete people’s experiences with politicians are, the easier it will be for them
to decide about their vote. therefore, we recommend sharing out the regions of your
country among the candidates that appear on your party’s list. on the one hand, this
Poster design templates should be offered by you on your home-page.
More information should be made available by you through your candidate service: Mrs Doe: 99865432 E-mail: [email protected]
Chapter 5.4.2 contains more infor-mation about candidate posters.
23
ensures your party’s presence all over the country. on the other, this makes it easier
for people to identify with your party because they can associate it with individual
faces.
as candidates feel responsible for concrete counties and municipalities, their contact
with the citizens will become much more intense, ensuring that a genuine exchange
takes place between the population and the political sphere.
By the same token, the candidates on your list should make themselves known in
the region for which they feel responsible through personalised candidate posters.
We urgently recommend designing such posters on the basis of your party’s Ci.
to set a signal for the citizens, they should convey an image which, as far as possible,
should be consistent across the country.
Past experience suggests that home-made design variants look better only in very
rare instances, and that most of them do not conform to all the criteria that apply to
posters.
Your party headquarters should support your candidates with concrete
offers.
Your headquarters should offer your candidates to take over the production of
personalised posters in the recommended formats of din a1 or a0.
Your service would handle all production activities.
Candidates would merely hand in a photograph selected by them and describe
their personal campaign impressions. all other steps would be controlled by your
candidate service until the quantity ordered is dispatched.
Besides relieving the burden on the candidates, this approach safeguards consistency
in terms of quality and the image of the party, and it saves money besides. You
should make absolutely sure, however, that candidates receive their posters in good
time.
generally speaking, you may begin putting up posters as early as six weeks before
the election date. in big cities, we recommend putting up candidate posters no later
than four weeks before the election, and three weeks before the election in small
towns. Can-didates should receive their posters no later than ten weeks before the
day of the election so that enough time remains for party members and helpers to
paste them on billboards. the same holds true for the party’s general campaign
posters.
4.2.2 other posters
next to posters showing candidates, others should be made available that convey
content-related messages. Here are a few sample poster types:
Large posters for large commercial hoardings
Theme posters (a1/a0) and teasers
Posters announcing speakers (a1/a0)
Wall newspapers (a2 landscape) for use in local display cases
All candidates should have an opportunity to have their photos handled by your headquarters’ candidate service. Have schedules and quotations ready.
Appointments are indispensable. Please contact Mrs Doe: 87654321 E-mail: [email protected]
24
Theme posters serve to convey your key messages to the voters in the form of brief
and catchy slogans. remember that the content of such a poster should be under-
standable to a person driving by in a car. this means selecting impressive pictures
and using brief messages. People should be able to identify your party with the mes-
sage. try to generate a positive effect. nobody will sympathise with a party that
promotes itself by knocking others on its posters.
Announcement posters announce the appearance of prominent speakers at your
campaign rallies. generating variety, they help to re-awaken the public’s attention.
Moreover, they increase the density of information about eminent events during the
campaign. they should be spread over a wide area, for the more prominent the
speaker, the larger the catchment area of his audience.
Wall newspapers do very nicely in the showcases which parties may put up outside
their offices.
Please make sure that all posters can be ordered by an uncomplicated process, such
as by fax.
4.2.3 Posting equipment on the spot
You should now check whether your equipment is complete, ready, and suitable for
campaign use. run through the following checklist for displaying posters on the spot:
is there an adequate number of poster hangers and billboards?
are they in good repair?
is there a need for ordering more equipment? (remember that reorders may be de-
layed by
delivery bottlenecks!)
What is the format of the billboards and hangers (din a1/din a0)?
How many posters do you wish/need to order?
Have you obtained the requisite approvals from the municipality?
is your posting crew ready?
4.3 cAndIdATE ProSPEcTuSES And PErSonAl
PromoTIon mATErIAl
any election victory is based on local campaigning in which candidates play a key
role. this is why your party’s headquarters should support your candidates to the
best of its ability in their personal campaigns and offer them an extensive range of
services.
4.3.1 Photo appointments
Candidate portraits made by professionals are crucial for personal posters and pro-
spectuses. as not every candidate will have a good photographer on call, collective
appointments will not only help candidates greatly, they will also be the most cost-
efficient alternative because you will be able to negotiate a good discount with your
professional photographer.
this service offers candidates an opportunity to have their portraits taken for posters,
prospectuses, and other advertising purposes.
Candidate Service: Your contact for all questions re-lating to candidate campaining is Mrs Doe: Phone: 888888 Fax: 555555 E-mail: [email protected]
Photo appointments:
Appointments must be arranged. Name a contact (phone and mail) with whom appointments can be arranged on short notice.
25
to enable candidates to prepare for these appointments they should be given advance
instructions as to what to wear for the photographs.
those who are unable to take advantage of the collective photo appointments will
have to make their own arrangements for having their photograph taken. Chapter
5.4.3 contains some hints on the subject.
4.3.2 candidate posters
each candidate will receive an offer on the production of personal posters from party
headquarters.
4.3.3 candidate prospectuses
all candidates should be provided with a blueprint for designing prospectuses. once
again, it would be a great help if you were to offer your services in the production of
individualised prospectuses.
While candidates submit the requisite number of photos together with the copy, the
candidate service handles the entire layout and design process. a sample prospectus
should then be mailed to the candidate together with a written quotation specifying
quantities ordered and prices.
4.3.4 Personal promotion material
in addition to team promotion materials such as caps, jackets, and t-shirts which
assist candidates in enhancing the consistency of their appearance and their recogni-
tion factor in a campaign, you should offer personalised giveaways bearing the
name of the candidate. these tools should be on order from the online shop on your
intranet.
Moreover, you should offer your candidates support in designing their online
appearance.
leaflets, flyers and brochures
leaflets, flyers and brochures are classical theme-related advertising materials in
local campaigning. as a general rule, they are not personalised for individual candi-
dates; for these have their own candidate prospectuses.
all these promotion materials should be easily obtainable either from party head-
quarters or on the internet.
4.3.5 contacts at your party headquarters
there are always questions. this is why you should name the persons responsible for
each subject matter at this point, together with their telephone numbers and e-mail
addresses, so that your members can access information quickly.
See Chapter 4.2.1 Candidate Posters
Put all your current flyers on your intranet.
Make current leaflets and brochures available from your e-shop at www. shop.party.xx
Should you have any questions, please contact Mrs Jane Doe, 99999999 E-mail: [email protected]
Please address any direct inquires to Mr John Doe, 88888888 E-mail: [email protected]
You will find all contacts for ques-tions relating to the campaign or to political issues and the positions of your party in Chapter 6.7.1.
26
For example:
Please contact us:
Production:
John doe
Phone: 888888
e-mail: [email protected]
Candidate service:
Jane doe
Phone: 888888
e-mail: [email protected]
Online service: see Chapter 4.8.
4.4 bASIc KIT
For the ‘hot’ phase you should provide your party branches and candidates with a
basic kit of key promotion materials including posters, brochures, and argumentation
cards.
as far as posters are concerned, we recommend asking round among your county
branches about the quantities they need so that you can plan accordingly.
County branches must specify their needs in good time.
inquiries from party headquarters must be answered asaP.
inform your county branches in time about when their basic kits will arrive.
4.5 locAl dEPloymEnT of lArgE PoSTErS
Your head office is responsible for the deployment of large posters. the requisite
number of billboards and/or hoardings must be determined in time so that they can
be reserved and/or made. this should be done in cooperation with your county
branches.
We urgently recommend
applying early for the best hoardings and/or billboards for large posters because
you won’t catch the other parties napping, and
informing your county branches about the number of hoardings reserved for them.
Check the cost of these large posters early on and include them in the expenses of
your party’s headquarters. the county branches may then decide whether or not to
rent additional large hoardings at their own expense.
the impact of large posters is special because they are perceived mainly by drivers.
Consequently, you should display them in locations where there is a dense flow of
traffic.
Name a contact for the deployment of large posters.
2�
4.6 APPEArAncES of PromInEnT PolITIcIAnS AS SPEAKErS
4.6.1 Speakers as stellar attractions in a campaign
of course, citizens are particularly attracted by campaign events that are attended by
top politicians.
the centrally-controlled deployment of speakers aims at ensuring that top politicians
of your party are pre-sent in all parts of the country. Your party’s headquarters will
deploy a select group of prominent politicians as speakers:
Party chairmen and candidates for the post of prime minister
deputy party chairmen
other speakers
at this point, you should introduce these politicians personally.
4.6.2 organisation
in organising the nationwide deployment of speakers, we suggest you proceed as
follows: during the ‘hot’ phase of the campaign, speakers should report to headquar-
ters on what days they will hold themselves free for appearances.
these days are then shared out among the county branches, which will then be
responsible for distributing them among the municipalities. Your party’s headquarters
will support each county branch in preparing these events.
Very important:
County branches should receive questionnaires
relating to the event which enquire about
- recent information about the appearance of the speaker as planned by the
candidate or county branch (subject, location, situation, accessibility)
- important facts about the county branch (political majorities, major problems,
etc.)
- questions about public information (press, advertisements, posters, etc.)
Make sure that these questionnaires are completed swiftly by the county branch in
question and returned to headquarters in good time. For the speaker to prepare
himself for the event, such information is indispensable.
Posters announcing speakers should be obtainable from party headquarters.
in addition, party headquarters should make leaflets available that announce the
event.
speaker appearances are instrumental in motivating your members and helpers as
well as in mobilising voters. Help to turn ever single appearance of a speaker into a
success for your party.
Speaker appearances should be planned at headquarters and com-municated to the county branches, which will then be responsible for distributing them among the mu-nicipalities.
This is where you should name a contact for answering questions about organisation.
28
b: AddITIonAl offErIngS
4.� ThE InTErnET
today’s internet has enormous advantages to offer in political work: announcements,
activity proposals, and flyers reach their public without loss of time.
unlike brochures and documentations, internet publications do not entail any printing
or distribution expenditures. Contents may be communicated in a variety of ways –
text, images, sound, video clips. What is more, the opportunities for interaction offer-
ed by the internet – chat rooms, forums, e-mails – promote the direct exchange
of information between citizens and your party. the importance of the internet is
increasing in parallel with the number of its users, which has been booming in recent
years.
the internet appearance of your party should be modelled on the offerings of large
enterprises to specific target groups.
its core should be the intranet (www.partynet.xx) which addresses party mem-
bers. the easiest way of regulating access to it would be to use individual member
ids as passwords for the intranet. it should offer campaigners all the most important
campaign-related information.
in campaign times, the intranet should offer everything your party and its candidates
need to contest an election. it forms the most important and most up-to-date infor-
mation medium. next to political con-tents, it offers special services to candidates.
among other things, this should include speech blueprints, letters to specific target
groups, sample advertisements with their templates, sample press releases, advertis-
ing line elements (logos, candidate prospectuses), the campaign handbook, service
offers and order forms (posters, prospectuses, etc.), and a photo service (with tips
regarding the outfit).
another element is your party’s public internet appearance (www.party.xx).
it provides citizens with comprehensive information about all matters relating to
your party. For important political events – party conventions, elections, action
weeks – this offering may be subdivided into a number of platforms that are acces-
sible to the general public. thus, the internet may contain a publicly accessible
election platform in addition to the service platforms in the internal Chapter.
4.�.1 The intranet
during election campaigns, the intranet fulfils a strategic function in internal com-
munication. People should be able to find on it all kinds of background information,
arguments supporting policies of their party, things worth knowing about political
compe-titors, and public relations assistance.
the major items on offer should include
background reports and, where applicable, interviews on topical issues,
information and arguments relating to the political opponent,
Flyers on topical issues
information and ideas for local campaigners
29
suggestions for activities, events, and recruitment of members; up-to-date material
on nationwide campaigns
Proposals on public-relations activities and promotion materials
notices about dates and events
guides on diverse subjects
internet commissioners and/or county branch officials responsible for the internet
should receive a wide range of support for setting up and maintaining an internet
presence.
in addition, there should be items that are of great importance in party work:
statutes, instruction sheets on donations, account statements, and many other
things.
Furthermore, you should have an e-shop offering the complete range of your party’s
promotion material.
4.�.2 campaign offerings for candidates on the internet
For a candidate, the internet forms the most important and up-to-date source of
information. next to political services, it should offer the following campaign aids:
Model speeches
sample letters to target groups
sample advertisements with templates
sample press releases
elements of the advertising line (logos, candidate prospectuses)
Campaign manual
service offers with order forms (posters, prospectuses, etc.)
Photo service (with tips regarding the outfit)
4.�.3 Public internet appearance – www.party.xx
reports on current affairs should form the hub of your internet page. at its centre,
it should prominently display the topical affairs of the day (in chronological sequence).
the latest item should be at the top. For more in-depth information, you should
integrate links. then, essential messages can be formulated briefly and concisely and
a great deal of information can be seen at a glance without causing confusion. refer-
ences to important events and other information may be shown in columns to the
right and left, so that the user, by simply clicking on a button, can retrieve extensive
information on events, conferences, and tV appearances. Buttons may also serve as
links to important background information.
on your page, you should also offer access to a comprehensive political database
containing detailed information about your party’s policy on, for example, education,
taxation, or the reform of social systems. users should be able to obtain the most
important facts about each political field in a concise format, together with speeches,
background analyses, press statements, and committee papers.
‘resolutions’ and ‘party conventions’ are key words which are of outstanding impor-
tance for your political work. under these headings, your internet should have
party convention documents,
discussion papers, and
resolutions adopted by working groups of your party.
It is indispensable to have a contact to answer any campaign-related questions a candidate might have. Specify his/her contact data.
All candidates should be informed by e-mail about current editions to the online range.
Questions should be addressed to:
John Doe, 09876543E-mail: [email protected]
30
needless to say, members should be able to use the services provided by your head
office for journalists.
it would be helpful, for instance, to have a button called Press Centre under which
you can access current press releases, a continuously updated overview of major
political dates, and an image database containing photos of your top politicians and
your party’s events.
to complement this Chapter, you might add a comprehensive archive and a news-
letter mailing list. People who enter their name will receive current press releases
by e-mail free of charge.
dedicated campaign aids should be offered in your Service Chapter. People who
enter their name in a mailing list included in this Chapter would receive information
on selected issues by e-mail.
do not forget to add an unambiguous heading such as Party CI under which users
can find the logo of your party in a wide range of file formats which can be down-
loaded at any time for integration in individual internet appearances or party publi-
cations.
next to political contents, it makes sense to include a portrait of your party. the
Party Chapter should introduce the members of your party’s executive committee
and its MPs in the current legislative period.
Moreover, your internet page should include links to regional and other branches.
as a party, you should consider establishing a forum as an interactive element. it
will offer numerous users an opportunity to take part in discussions about various
political fields: domestic policy, foreign and european policy, economic and social
policy. such a publicly accessible forum would enable you to keep track of current
debates.
take advantage of the opportunity – see what it’s like!
another item that is of particular interest for your campaign effort is a link button
called Contact. through this button, your members should be able to address their
questions by e-mail to competent contacts in the political departments of your party’s
headquarters.
in addition, you should offer your members an internet site that deals with the cam-
paign conduct of your political opponents. this offers you an opportunity to correct
your opponents’ misrepresentations and confront their claims with evidence to the
contrary. in any major political event, the arguments and statements of your political
opponents will be swiftly confronted on this page by detailed facts. such a campaign
facts platform is the fastest way of passing on information to all your party’s mem-
bers. in the course of time, such a database will develop into an extensive archive,
a true treasure-trove of facts. Here you will find the arguments of your political oppo-
nents – together with the facts you can use to counter these arguments in discussions
on the spot. take advantage of this offer – and bring yourself up to date for encoun-
ters with your political opponent.
another must for your page is an image database that contains photos of your
top candidates for downloading. You should have another clearly identifiable button
for accessing this database.
Questions about the internet appearance of your party – www.party.xx – will be answered by:
Mrs Jane Doe, 09876543E-mail: [email protected]
31
4.�.4 candidate homepages
the growing number of hits on party internet pages shows that people have not lost
interest in politics by any means. However, they are looking for new formats for
dealing with politics and making their interests heard.
this being so, both politicians and parties must use the entire range of electronic
media to communicate their programmatical objectives to the citizens. For the same
reason, candidates should have a personal internet appearance for use in their politi-
cal work.
what does a homepage of your own do for you?
a homepage of your own is good value compared to print products and other clas-
sical publications. it is true that an internet presence cannot replace the classical
advertising channels, but the importance of homepages in the ‘media mix’ is in-
creasing. an internet presence is good advertising, which is why it should be dis-
played in all print products, campaign appearances, advertisements, posters, and
on rostrums.
there is no faster medium. the internet enables you to communicate, from one
minute to the next, up-to-date information such as press releases and event
announcements to the largest possible audience.
as an added extra, you might offer multimedia elements on the internet, including,
for example, photos for downloading. Journalists will be grateful to you for that
service.
an internet appearance is the only medium that permits two-way communication
(forums, chat-rooms, e-mail), a crucial distinction from the classical media.
what do I have to do to be successful on the internet?
in contrast to former elections, the question confronting parties and candidates is no
longer, ‘Do I have to use the internet?’
today’s question is, ‘What do I have to do to be successful on the internet?’
it is advisable to develop a concept before beginning the technical implementation of
an internet page. this concept should answer the following questions:
What do i intend to communicate? in other words: what information do i want to
publish? Who are the people i want to reach? What are the interests, expectations,
and background knowledge of my readers?
Which format fits my content? Visitors of politically relevant pages expect political
information that is brief, concise, and easily readable.
What technical and organisational conditions have to be in place before my page
can appear on the internet? should i programme my own website, or should i have
it done by a relative or friend of mine, a fellow party member, or an agency?
What server and provider am i going to use to file my data? How much memory
space am i going to require, and what will the cost be? does the price include un-
limited traffic on my pages or will there be extra costs to pay? Where can i have a
name for my homepage registered, and how much will it cost? What points are to
be considered in choosing a name?
You will find further helpful hints for your own homepage if you click on Service under the Web- master menu on the intranet.
Please address any questions you may have to: Pleasedtohelp: 123456778E-mail: [email protected]
32
unlike any other medium, the internet demands that a presentation should be as
attractive as possible at first glance, motivating people to click happily from page to
page and – ideally – visit the site again. to achieve this, the following points should
be kept in mind:
Text: text passages should be kept as brief as possible. reading long texts on a
monitor is tiring. do not set up too many so-called hyperlinks between words and
other contents. do not use too many different font sizes and colours, and see to it
that characters contrast adequately with the background. lack of contrast is bound
to irritate the reader and divert his attention from what is essential.
Graphics: graphics enliven a text, and they provide additional information. Words
cannot explain everything, and graphics relieve visual strain. they also assist in
navigation (e.g. page-navigation buttons).
Structure: as far as possible, pages should follow a pattern that repeats itself: us-
ers should be able at any time to identify the pattern underlying a page, no matter
what sub-page they are currently on.
Page size: pages should not be too large. the larger a page, the longer it takes to
download – and the harder it is to read for the user.
Navigation: pages should have identical navigation systems. navigation bars
should contain as few icons as possible. dead ends, i.e. pages from which you can-
not go back, should be avoided. the more concise and manageable your navigation
system, the better.
Download times: lengthy download times irritate users. the rule of thumb is: the
shorter the download time, the better. to keep download times as short as possible
you should observe the following rules: two short pages are preferable to a long
one. employ as few colours as possible in graphics and images.
Page maintenance: it is not enough to set up a homepage and be done with it.
users expect pages to be up to date, and they will be justifiably angry at discover-
ing ‘old’ information. the shorter the intervals between updates, the better. if
your page features links to external offerings, you should check from time to time
whether the target address is still correct. ‘dead’ links will put users off!
E-mail address: your homepage should include a facility for sending e-mails to
you. apart from the fact that users expect such a standard option, this will give
you an opportunity to receive ideas and tips at little or no cost. e-mails should be
answered within a reasonable space of time.
Interactive elements: so-called interactive elements have proven themselves
especially valuable in the field. the term refers to services that permit two-way
communication. this includes, for instance, options to join ongoing debates in inter-
net forums, discussing topical issues in chat rooms, or mailing postcards on the
internet (e-cards). similarly, internet voting and online puzzles enjoy increasing
popularity.
33
how can headquarters assist you in setting up a homepage?
You should consider this question thoroughly so that you can offer good service to
your party members in this regard. one option would be, for example, to provide
exhaustive information on the subject on your party’s internet page. it would be
helpful for your head office to provide an online service to assist in implementing the
ideas mentioned above as well as in resolving problems of any kind. You should name
your contacts at this point.
in addition, you might name companies that will assist your members in setting up in
an internet presence on concessional terms.
4.8 onlInE PrInT PorTAl
there are many ways in which online print portals may be used to advantage. You
should give your members and branches a chance to order personal notepaper or
business cards that conform to the corporate image of your party.
a demo version makes it easier for people to learn how to handle the print portal and
achieve the desired print result. You should also set up your print portal so that it can
be used to print out speaker posters (a1/a0). this would permit ordering posters with
a customised text at any time and place.
For questions and comments on the print portal, contact: mr freshfromthepress: 5647365E-mail: [email protected]
34
CHaPter 5: loCal CaMPaigning
5.1 bASIc PlAnnIng: fInAncES – ThEmES –
PromoTIon mATErIAl – EvEnTS
any electoral contest calls for thorough preparation. this is certainly difficult when-
ever a poll is held before the statutory date. in such cases, your party will face the
unusual challenge of having to conduct a brief but committed campaign.
it is all the more important that your party should be well set up, meaning that its
organisation and campaign capability should be maintained even in between elec-
tions.
a campaign always confronts candidates, county branches, and volunteers on the
spot with a strenuous tour de force. a campaign must be launched in good time and
conducted in a well-planned and structured manner from the beginning. remedying
things afterwards is often nearly impossible.
the season in which the campaign will take place should be considered in your plans.
the activities you can do in summer differ from those that are possible in winter,
a fact that affects equipment, promotion material, event scheduling, and even costs.
therefore, you should answer the following questions at this early time:
Finances: how much money is available? What do we need to finance?
Themes: what themes are of particular importance locally?
Promotion materials: how can we communicate our themes and candidates to
the best effect?
Events: what events will enable us to reach which target groups? (Consider the
season!)
only optimum implementation can ensure optimum success.
5.2 campaign preparations
ideally, a campaign preparation phase should last between three and six months.
You should carefully consider the following aspects:
5.2.1 campaign committee
First of all, a campaign committee should be created in each county branch or,
alternatively, within the region for which a candidate is responsible. it will address
questions relating to statutes and all legal regulations,
questions relating to financial planning and funding,
scheduling, harmonising, and coordinating dates,
event planning,
press contacts and public relations (including the internet), and
defining the candidate’s advertising line and deciding which promotion materials
will be used.
35
Committee members should include the county chairman, the county chief executive,
the county treasurer, and a few persons capable of performing certain core functions
responsibly (soliciting donations, organising events, designing the advertising line,
etc.).
appointed by candidates and county executive committees, campaign committees are
empowered to make any requisite decisions within a defined financial framework.
the campaign committee appoints a campaign manager from among its members.
this post calls for familiarity with the subject, great commitment, and an outstanding
talent to organise.
5.2.2 your advertising appearance
Plan your public appearance carefully. From the beginning, see to it that your
appearance remains consistent in all the media you use.
Your party must appear under a consistent logo and signet. a consistent corporate
image, meaning uniformity in the appearance of all candidates and party branches,
will create
a recognition effect, meaning that your party’s candidates can be recognised every-
where, and
an impression of closed ranks and togetherness.
this effect will be enhanced if the above maxims are applied strictly in the advertising
lines of your candidates. in concrete terms,
always use your party’s Ci and its current logo;
use uniform colour schemes; the characteristic colour of your party must be
dominant;
use your party’s font; and
harmonise all your promotion materials in this respect.
it is important for you to keep these hints in mind from the time you begin planning.
5.2.3 Teams and supporters
in addition to your campaign staff you should assemble smaller teams of helpers and
supporters. try to motivate interested members and friends of your party to join your
teams of campaign helpers and supporters by mobilizing the members of your cam-
paign staff as well as county and local executives. involvement motivates not only
those concerned; the impetus thus generated will be communicated to the outside.
american campaigns are particularly dependent on supporters and volunteers. Hun-
dreds of unpaid volunteers take part in a wide range of activities. not only does this
save money, it also helps enormously to motivate the party as a whole and convey its
mood to the population.
in campaign times, a database listing sympathisers of your party is a golden asset,
for they are easiest to mobilise. For this purpose, it is important to ‘cultivate’ inter-
ested persons and sympathisers over the years, supplying them with information (e.
g. through e-mail newsletters or phone calls), inviting them to events, and approach-
ing them directly about acting as campaign helpers.
You will find information about the CI in Chapter 3.
If you need help in implementing the CI or more information about it, please contact mr Engineer: 94758574E-mail: [email protected]
Important: A volunteer programme is worth money in any campaign.
You will find information on ‘supporter teams’ in Chapter 5.3. or on the internet at www.supporter-team.xx
If you have any questions, contact: Mrs Will: 7777777
36
You should create such a file for your party, setting things up so that interested
citizens can contact you easily by, for example, registering via the internet.
example:
This is how you can join our supporter team:
on the internet: www.supporter-team.party.xx
By letter: Supporter team, Example street 1, XXXXX Capital
By phone: 25896333
campaign assistant teams
teams of campaign assistants are indispensable for organising and implementing
events, distributing direct mailings, putting up posters, and visibly supporting candi-
dates at local canvassing stands. a team shows through its equipment and the visu-
ally consistent appearance of its members that it is ready to back up its candidates
and defend its party’s stance aggressively. at the same time, citizens will know where
to turn for information if they are interested. For the team members themselves, their
consistent appearance will enhance their feeling of belonging and, consequently, their
satisfaction with their mission.
Supporters
in additions to teams of campaign assistants, supporters may assist candidates in
various important ways. as second-tier helpers, they may, for example,
place or solicit advertisements for their party or their candidate,
solicit donations,
canvass for their party among their friends and acquaintances, through events,
for example,
argue for their party vis-à-vis third persons,
write letters to the editor of the local paper, and
create an atmosphere favourable to their party and its candidates at public events.
recruiting volunteers
in a campaign, nothing moves without volunteers and unpaid helpers who join in the
fray, particularly during the ‘hot phase’ at the end of the campaign.
People who are willing to support you in your campaign may be found both inside and
outside your party:
You may have met a number of party members in previous campaigns who would
like to join you again.
talk to young people, students, and pensioners, for some of these may have more
time to engage in political activities.
try persuading the hitherto ’passive’ members of your branch to work for your party
in the campaign.
We have enclosed a sample letter in the appendix to this Handbook. You should
also use your telephone campaigns to address potential volunteers.
ask young members of your branch to assist you in your internet work.
ask your own relatives, colleagues, and friends: campaign assistants do not
necessarily have to be party members.
3�
5.2.4 finances
at all events, you should count your cash before you plunge into the campaign.
Find out
How much money is available?
Who contributes to funding the campaign? Who may, who must be involved?
is it possible to solicit donations? is there a list of donors? Who may or must be
approached?
Will more than one county branch be involved? What provisions and statutes of
my party and its county branches do i need to observe? do i need to establish a
finance committee?
You need to tally not only your revenues but also your expenditures. giving due
consideration to your financial resources and potential extra revenues, we suggest
you set up three expenditure bags:
necessary expenditures
Meaningful expenditures
desirable expenditures
applying these criteria, you can work your way through the following expenditure
items:
Candidate marketing: posters, brochures, leaflets, advertisements etc.
theme marketing: leaflets, flyers etc.
sympathy advertising: gifts etc.
event management: where do i need to invest? What can be done at little or
no cost?
5.2.5 Scheduling
the availability of most candidates is likely to be limited during large parts of the
campaign. nearly all the obligations that need to be considered are of a professional
and/or familial nature; MPs, of course, are subject to their parliamentary schedule.
all in all, little time remains for the candidates to look after their (mostly) large ter-
ritories. this time must be employed in the best possible way to create the impression
that candidates are present everywhere.
Event calendars for campaign times
For this reason, it is indispensable to fix dates by internal arrangement. Candidates
should concentrate on appearances with the best possible publicity effect. in this
context, developing an event calendar for the duration of the campaign suggests
itself. ask your municipalities about what events will be taking place locally, and use
the internet as a source of information. More especially, you should ask your local
branches about the extent to which events are appreciated locally, and whether they
think that it would make sense for a candidate to take part or be present.
Important: Even if dedicated campaign accounts have been opened, the contry branch will remain in charge. All account moves must be entered on the books. All revenues and expenditures relating to the entire campaign must be covered in the annual accounts of the country branch.
If you have any legal questions about finances, please contact: Mr Helper: 88888888 E-mail: [email protected]
38
5.2.6 own events
it is important that your party should hold events of its own because these serve to
motivate and mobilise your own supporters,
demonstrate the strength of your party to the outside world,
popularise your candidates,
highlight important issues, and
enhance public sympathy with your party.
Your own events must fit in with the general schedule and those of your candidates.
Joint planning and internal consultation are indispensable. the following criteria
should figure in your plans without fail:
Whom do i want to reach?
What do i want to achieve?
does the event serve this purpose?
Will it be held at the right time and place?
Will competing events be held at the same time?
right from the start, you should have plans about whom you wish to invite
(members, friends, guests, etc.).
invitations cost money. include such costs in your financial schedule!
if you wish to advertise an event you should figure in the cost right from the start, if
possible, and inquire early about placing such advertisements, their cost, and related
discount options.
it is especially important to reach other persons beyond the immediate circle of event
participants. this is why it is imperative to involve the press and any local media – tV,
radio, etc.
events that are covered by the media will transport two messages:
Your party is active.
This is what your party wants to do in this particular field.
5.2.� Target groups
in former times, it was often possible to arouse the citizens’ interest simply by pre-
senting candidates or political guests at public events. today, however, it is often
necessary to address specific target groups. Many people restrict their commitment
to specific areas in public life that are often closely confined. it is in these areas only
that they look for information and inquire about your party’s positions.
this being so, the following questions should be examined closely:
What target groups can be won over by us?
How can we approach these target groups?
Suggestions for own events you will find in Chapter 6.6, Idea market.
More suggestions are to be found on your intranet at www.partynet.xxHeading: Interactive Keyword: Idea market
39
What is called the personal approach is becoming more and more important. Before
any event addressing a particular target group takes place, therefore, you should
define the target group as a whole and
identify each individual target group member.
this activity forms part of your campaign preparations. it demands a great deal of
time and occasionally extensive research. enquire among your acquaintances for
volunteers or party members who might do the work without remuneration. as an
alternative, you might order an agency to do your research against payment.
target group addresses can be found in telephone books, on the internet, by enquir-
ing with the county administration (about clubs, for instance), or by information
obtained from third persons (e.g. by asking club members about their executive
committee).
5.2.8 returns and voter potentials
especially campaigns with a closely limited timeframe need to be conducted as
effectively as possible. this is why you should concentrate on those areas within
your region where the potential of your party is greatest.
analyse the returns of the previous election. even though the results of different
elections may not be immediately comparable, they do show where your party has
been relatively successful and where it hardly won any votes at all.
Basically, mobilising voters pays where your party’s share in the vote is relatively
large.
Convincing voters pays in those areas where large numbers of voters swing back and
forth between elections.
Important:
the less time you have, the more you need to look after your own strongholds where
you should aim to increase the turnout so as to lay the foundations for a good overall
result.
5.3 ThE TEAm of SuPPorTErS
Mobilising your own supporters is playing an increasingly important role in the
eventual success of an election. that the personal approach on the spot is especially
promising in this context is evidenced not only by the us presidential campaign of
2004 but also by successful campaigns in other states (germany, for example).
What does this mean for political work? easy: in a modern campaign, success de-
pends not so much on who has the fattest budget, puts up the greatest number of
posters, or advertises more in newspapers and cinemas. instead, those who succeed
in inspiring the greatest number of supporters who, in turn, will carry other people
with them will have good prospects of coming out ahead. However, it will not be
enough merely to mobilise the members of your own party; rather, you should give
non-party members a chance to join in and contribute actively to your success.
40
The future Team – the team of supporters
to mobilise its own followers and sympathisers on a large scale, your party might
launch a supporter campaign. the Future Team will be happy to accept anybody
who is prepared to lend his or her physical or intellectual support to promote good
politics and, consequently, a better future for your country together with your party –
with or without party membership. the larger the team, the better your chances of
victory.
recruiting new supporters is the key to the success of your supporter programme as
a modern campaign tool. therefore, you should begin right now to recruit people who
are ready to support you in winning the election. For this purpose, you should set
up an internet address (for example www.supporter-team.party.xx) which, besides
providing information about your campaign, should offer your sympathisers a chance
to register as supporters.
this page should be linked to your party’s website, www.party.xx. Your county
branches should be given flyers to be used for advertising purposes at local events.
anyone may join! Membership in the supporter team is free of charge, and there is no
need to belong to your party or one of its branches.
5.3.1 benefits for registered supporters
supporters are entitled to receive exclusive information (by e-mail) on current
political issues and events, giving them an advantage over those whose only source
of information is the media.
at regular intervals, you will be informed about how to contribute to victory actively.
You may either join a large team or opt for individual engagement.
ask your county branches and candidates to promote the Future team actively.
on your intranet, for example, you might offer an internet advertisement button for
county branches and candidates to include in their homepage, linking it to the new
campaign homepage www.supporter-team.party.xx. ask the sub-organisations and
branches in your region to put the button on their homepage.
5.3.2 deployment of volunteers
there is a wealth of things to do for voluntary campaign helpers. Finding and gather-
ing volunteers and coordinating their duties is one of the most important tasks in any
campaign.
coordination is everything!
there must be someone who assumes responsibility, delegates tasks, and distributes
the activities of the campaign among the people. Frequently, this leaves no time for
campaigning in the streets or at party stands.
Extensive information about the party’s volunteer programme can found at: www.supporter-team.party. xx Any questions should be addressed to: Mr Nimble: 22222222
You can also reach the same page at www.party.xx
This is how you can reach the Future Team: E-mail: future-team.party.xx Internet: www.future-team.party.xx Letter: Future Team, Future Street 20, 11111 Imagination Phone: 111111111 Fax: 111111111
A great deal of strength and willingness will go to waste if duties are not clearly assigned. At worst, this may have the effect of demotivating people and de- priving them of their zest. This responsibility is of outstanding importance.
41
this is the duty of the campaign manager who needs
a list of all helpers specifying their individual interests and skills as well as their
availability,
a timetable clearly specifying
- the events of your own party,
- the events of other parties,
- attending party members and voluntary helpers, and
- attending candidates.
deployment options
there are numerous options for using volunteers. in the following, we will introduce
the most important of them as a blueprint for your work.
at the campaign office, volunteers may receive calls, answer e-mails and letters,
type out addresses, put letters in envelopes, and prepare information packages.
Volunteers may also be used in telephone campaigns in which you personally ask
voters and sympathisers to opt for your party on election day. lastly, volunteers
may assist in compiling addresses for promotion campaigns, target-group circulars,
and press mailing lists.
as far as information material is concerned, volunteers are indispensable for dis-
tributing flyers, prospectuses, and letters among the households in your territory.
the (expensive) alternative would be to have the material distributed by a commer-
cial service provider (e.g. mail).
Putting up posters is virtually impossible without volunteers. they will order
posters and paste them up: candidate posters, event posters, and posters
announcing appearances of prominent members of your party.
in canvassing, voluntary helpers will be present at the local stands of your party
and assist your candidate in street discussions, events, and door-to-door can-
vassing.
in connection with events, volunteers may look for a suitable room, reserve it, get
it ready for the event (decoration), lay out promotion material and/or distribute it
among the guests, and answer your visitors’ questions.
Your voluntary helpers will join you in activities on political issues and sym-
pathy advertising for your party. Volunteers will help you in organising such
events, besides distributing flyers, information material, and giveaways.
as far as your political opponents are concerned, your volunteers will keep a
watchful eye on their activities at the local and national level, collect newspaper
clippings about their events and political statements, and report regularly to your
candidate and/or your county branch campaign team.
at the ‘press office’, volunteers will gather newspaper materials about you as a
candidate and/or about your county branch, correlating press reviews at regular
intervals.
As far as possible, you should see to it that people from all levels of society are represented on your team. Young and middle-aged people, senior citizens, men and women, employees, entrepreneurs, and unemployed persons, people with O-levels and university graduates, etc. The greater the diversity of your team, the greater the variety of ideas it may produce – and the easier it will be for you to address the entire range of target groups.
42
• Volunteers on your internet team will keep your homepage up to date and look
after your e-mailing list. ‘internet volunteers’ will put up media reports about you
on your homepage, thus making them available to both the media and the public.
Moreover, they may speak out in support of your party in chat rooms, forums, and
online votes.
utilising special skills
ask people who have newly joined your campaign team as volunteers about any
special skills they may have– and employ them accordingly:
it may be that one of your team members is good at handling a PC, so that he or
she can design invitation layouts or visually jazz up your member circular.
People who feel comfortable with the internet may search for valuable argumen-
tation aids in the run-up to public events, press interviews, etc.: what has been
said by others about the subject? What is your party’s position? What are other in-
stitutions saying (trade unions, industry confederations, parents’ associations, social
organisations, …)?
those who are familiar with local clubs may act as ‘party ambassadors’.
avid newspaper readers may follow the materials published in your regional papers
and create and update a ‘political archive’ containing reports about your party
and its political opponents. this will be particularly helpful in your political work af-
ter the election as it puts you in a position to remind your competitors of former
promises.
if you employ not one but several volunteers in one of the areas named above, you
should appoint a team leader who will be responsible for coordinating matters reli-
ably. He or she will plan activities together with the campaign manager and report on
their success afterwards.
5.4 ThE ‘cAmPAIgn run-uP’
in the run-up to a campaign, your party should develop plans regarding especially the
preparatory items listed in Chapter 5.2; in the field of public relations, this specifically
relates to
mobilisation,
sympathy advertising,
popularising your candidates,
linking your party and its messages in the public awareness, and
addressing target groups.
Your most important task during the run-up will be to see to it that your party
appears locally as consistent, unified, and committed.
approach your members early. at the beginning of a campaign, members are mobi-
lised and highly motivated. this motivation should be projected convincingly to the
outside world.
43
5.4.1 mobilising members
to mobilise your members you need to involve them at an early time. Many of your
members will be waiting to be approached and asked to cooperate. there are two
ways in which this can be done:
By letter
Write to all party members in your constituency. Briefly introduce yourself, your
campaign objectives, and your most important themes.
address members personally and ask them in what way they would like to support
your campaign. offer them a choice of activities in organisation, supervision, distri-
bution, donations, etc.
state clearly that any form of assistance is both necessary and important.
By telephone
if you want to launch a telephone campaign, you will need help. You will have to
have a few volunteers to help you from the very start of the campaign.
Members may be mobilised by telephone in two ways, namely
- by ringing up all members and asking them for their support, or
- by calling some members who belong to certain associations or civil organisations
and inviting them to join in specific activities or events.
Mobilisation by telephone is advantageous because it establishes direct contact with
your members, and because it may not be necessary to conduct a full-scale telephone
marketing campaign – campaign appeals, mobilisation, etc. – in the last stage of the
campaign.
5.4.2 Presenting candidates
even very active MPs spend a great deal of their time working in parliament, in com-
mittees, in their parliamentary party or, as its representatives, in public bodies or at
events scattered all over the country. Very often, little time remains for local activi-
ties.
in our media-dominated society, people focus almost exclusively on so-called ‘top
politicians’ during a legislative period. the catchy pictures published on tV as well as
in newspapers and journals ensure recognition.
if we are realistic, we must admit that this is not true for the generality of MPs who
need to be ‘popularised’ for this reason, especially if they are new candidates. For
such visual campaigns there are a few classical media:
candidate posters,
candidate prospectuses,
leaflets, flyers, brochures,
newspaper advertisements,
personal appearances, and
candidate homepages.
You will find a sample letter in Chapter 6.4 as well as checklists, guides, and other material.
You will find a guide for the two types of telephone campaign in Chapter 6.4.
Candidate service:
Your contact for all questions re-garding the candidates’ campaigns is
Mrs Jane Doe, Phone: 012345Fax: 543210 E-mail: [email protected]
44
candidate posters
Portrayed on posters, candidates become visible to the general public. Posters form
the most important medium in local campaigning.
a poster’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. the pictures shown on
posters lodge in people’s minds, and candidates are perceived the way in which they
present themselves.
For this reason, photographs should be treated as highly important, and shootings
should be arranged at key locations to ensure that photos are executed professionally.
similarly, posters should be produced at headquarters so that the above-mentioned
advantages can be utilised to the full.
it is clear that not all candidates will be able – or willing – to take advantage of these
offers. Please take note of the important comments that follow.
there are a few basic rules which you should observe in connection with your poster
photograph:
always use a professional photographer. do not accept the offers of amateur
photographers among your friends, well-intentioned and low-priced though they
may be.
Have your photographs taken in standard high-resolution format. Your photog-
rapher will know. Private photos of 100, 200, and even 400 asa are not good
enough. even the resolution of very powerful 6-MB digital cameras falls far short
of the mark. Printers need files of up to 500 MB for a0 posters.
Your photos should be in portrait format. Full-figure images may look better from
close up, but the space on a poster is limited, and the people who look at it are
generally driving or passing by, and only a few will really come close. it would be
a pity if your finished poster were to show hardly anything of you.
Have many photographs taken, even though the cost may be a little higher.
it pays to have a large number of images to choose from.
Have yourself photographed in various styles of dress. Your portrait may have to
stand out against another background.
Consult your campaign team when you choose your poster photograph. Your
supporters do not see you the way you see yourself.
For your posters, it is best to use special poster paper. White, all rag, moisture resist-
ant, and coated on one side, this paste paper must be capable of resisting storage in
water for a limited period after being printed and folded and before being affixed (as
per din).
always remember: posters are expensive and take a relatively long time to produce.
they cannot be reissued just like that merely because of a bad photograph.
Attention: deadlines!
Producing a poster from photo-shooting to delivery of the finished product takes three weeks at best. You had better reckon with up to six weeks.
Presentation
You will find comments on the layout, the logo, and the CI of posters in Chapter 3.1.
45
candidate prospectuses
a candidate prospectus is a political sympathy advertising article. in addition to
popularising the image of a candidate, it tells about his or her personal affairs, special
political interests, and statements.
this is yet another medium for which headquarters should offer design assistance
under its candidate service.
if you as a candidate do not wish to avail yourself of this assistance and if you have
your own local design and production companies, here are a few hints which you
might like to follow:
use your party headquarters’ copy and artwork.
Follow your party’s Ci.
use photographs to illustrate matters.
include photographs that show you in private and in action, making contact with
citizens, visiting companies, travelling, etc.
do not overburden your prospectus: too much text deters people, it will not be
read, and it will anyway be inadequate for any exhaustive background information.
Your prospectus should be clearly structured. it should be comprehensible at a
glance.
it is imperative to quote the internet address of your candidate homepage for
people who want more information.
leaflets, flyers and brochures
Flyers and brochures on current campaign issues should be developed in good time.
all these promotion materials should be obtainable at headquarters or on the internet.
Flyers must always be up to date. all major themes should be covered. Your flyers
should name contacts for obtaining information about interesting issues and for
asking questions.
5.5 locAl cAmPAIgn STrATEgIES
general campaign strategies will be defined by headquarters on the basis of your
party’s record in the last few years and its programmatical focal points.
However, this does not mean that it is inconceivable that supplementary strategies
may or even must be employed in local campaigns.
Whether or not a supplementary local or regional campaign strategy will have to be
formulated depends on the local or regional framework conditions applying to your
party and its candidates.
5.5.1 Analysing the local political situation
the results of previous elections constitute the most important starting point for
analysing the political situation in your region and/or in the catchment area of your
county branch.
You should offer current flyers on your internet.
Current leaflets and brochures should be on offer in your e-shop at www.party.xx
Name a contact for questions.
46
How did your party – and the other parties – perform in the last and next-but-last
elections?
What share of the votes did your party win in the local elections that took place
since then?
Can any changes be distinguished in voter behaviour?
Moreover, there are issues or moods of outstanding local or regional importance which
must be considered when formulating a strategy:
are there any issues that keep cropping up in every campaign?
What issues will be considered important in the impending campaign by the
people in your area?
in any constituency, returns may fluctuate not only because of changes in the
political atmosphere but also because of social reasons, such as changes in the
population structure caused by large numbers of people moving into or out of the
area.
Check carefully what areas of your region and/or county branch demand particular
commitment in soliciting votes – especially those of swing voters – in the coming
election.
Your campaign strategy should be determined by the starting condition of your party.
Mobilisation, motivation, conquest: which of these three strategies fits the situa-
tion in your area depends on the strength of your party in the constituencies.
mobilisation
if the majority of voters have been constantly opting for your party in past elections,
your main task in this campaign will be to mobilise your members and sympathisers.
after all, you can win only if all those who favour your party actually vote for you on
election day.
motivation
if political conditions keep changing between elections, the number of swing voters is
particularly high in your constituency. therefore, your campaign strategy should aim
at motivating swing voters and the undecided to vote for your party.
conquest
even if your party has been unable to decide most of the previous ballots in its favour,
there is a chance that the coming election may change all that:
are there any concrete reasons why the majority of voters have been opting
for other parties so far? are these reasons based on personalities or contents?
depending on the results of your analysis, you should state clearly that you are
aware of the problems upsetting the people, and that your policy constitutes an
alternative to that of the party elected so far.
did your opponent make any promises on which he failed to deliver? Can you
confront him or her with an embarrassing track record?
4�
5.5.2 Statistical foundations
Beyond that, the following questions must be answered so that you can plan your
campaign purposefully and identify the regions where you need to campaign particu-
larly hard for the policies and candidates of your party:
in what way has the number of voters changed between the last and the present
election?
How many voters turned out in previous elections?
What share of the vote did the individual parties win in the last election?
are there any constituencies or areas where your party has always been particularly
strong or particularly weak?
are there any constituencies where the gains or losses of your party have been
above average in certain elections?
How many first-time voters are there?
Municipalities, county administrations, and statistical offices will provide the figures
required for this analysis on request. the smaller the area you are analysing, the
more meaningful your conclusions will be.
demographic structures and voting patterns
You will be greatly assisted in planning your campaign by demographic data which
you can obtain from registration offices, statistical offices (municipalities, districts), or
other offices concerned with urban development.
Check
whether there are more women or men living in your campaign district,
the numerical strength of the various age groups,
what level of education and what occupations are dominant, and
whether the majority of people is orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, or without
religious affiliation.
From all these data you can draw conclusions regarding the population’s voting be-
haviour. to formulate your strategy, you should evaluate these data in a team that
includes people who are familiar with the locality.
You should benchmark these demographic data against the results of past elections.
if your party’s returns differ although there was little or no change in the social struc-
ture, you need to explore possible causes:
did you step up your efforts in areas where you were successful?
did you neglect or even avoid other areas?
Was your candidate particularly attractive, or did he or she fail to make a hit with
the people?
Was your candidate firmly backed by your members and volunteers?
Was the way in which voters were approached in the media good all around, or was
there some need for improvement?
did your party’s candidate and the leaders of its county branch appear successfully
in the press and on the radio, or did your opponent have the advantage?
did your opponent manage to score with the citizens through particularly successful
activities? if so, what were they?
Were there areas where your party’s members were better motivated than else-
where?
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at all events, you should ask members of long standing for their personal assess-
ment. Many local politicians with years of experience keep an ear to the ground,
which enables them to interpret correctly both short-lived vote swings and long-lived
moods and, consequently, to give you valuable hints as to what points or issues to
concentrate on.
get results – use your knowledge – save time!
in campaigns with a very tight timeframe you might be tempted to dispense with
analysing framework conditions statistically.
You must do the exact opposite!
Especially when time is scarce, a campaign must be planned and prepared in
the best possible way. Only thus can you make the best possible use of your
time to approach the voters.
5.5.3 Public opinion and its moods
What are the issues that exercise people in the area where you are planning your
party’s campaign as candidate or member of the county branch?
You should explore the moods and opinions of your local voters. talking to people face
to face is the best way of learning what issues exercise them most. occasions to do
so may arise
when talking with citizens on the phone and in public,
during public debates and political events, including those of your opponent,
in conversations at your canvassing stand,
when visiting people at home, and
during the visiting hours of your party, its MPs, and its local parliamentary parties.
there is yet another important aspect to conversing with people and asking them
about issues:
Many people feel that politicians are not taking them seriously. they often think that
the main aim of politics is clinging to power. this fundamental scepticism towards
politics concerns all parties equally.
For this reason, you should not talk to the people about your own issues only.
let the people talk. listen to their ideas and problems.
take care to answer all questions that may be addressed to you.
there are also third parties who may give you hints about moods and important
issues:
ask your local party and council members to tell you about the issues they discuss
most frequently with citizens.
evaluate reports in newspapers and other local media, including letters to the
editor.
Check out the clubs, organisations, stakeholder groups, and civic initiatives that
operate in your catchment area: what are the concerns and particular interests of
these groups, who belongs to them, and how many members do they have?
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in all this, you must not forget that it is impossible to please everyone. Mark out
your position. state your limits clearly. if you do, you will save yourself many a use-
less debate with people who will not vote for you anyhow.
5.5.4 your candidate versus the political opponent:
analysing strengths and weaknesses
Your party’s candidates play a key role in planning campaigns for the constituencies.
to make the most of the strength of your own candidate and conceal any weaknesses
he or she may have, it is important to answer the following questions at the start of
the campaign:
in what respects is he/she ahead compared to the other parties’ candidates?
Where does he/she need to catch up?
analysing strengths and weaknesses provides you with a starting point for developing
a strategy for your candidates. Who is ahead in the struggle for votes in terms of
competence,
credibility,
sympathy,
popularity,
media presence,
supporters and helpers, and
campaign funds?
to speed up the process of identifying your own strengths and weaknesses and/or
those of your candidates and their competitors, we have prepared a checklist for you
which you will find in Chapter 6 (appendix) in Chapter 6.4.
Personal dealings
even though this should not be so, there a moments in a campaign where no holds
are barred. this means that you may have to prepare yourself to meet personal
attacks. they may be launched, for example, in the press, in letters to the editor, at
public events held by your political opponents, or in debates with them.
never forget:
Citizens are fed up with political bickering.
nevertheless, you have to react. if you have been attacked and do not respond you
will be regarded as involved anyway.
You should distinguish deliberately between the others’ personal attacks and their
political arguments. if necessary, you may interrupt the conversation for a personal
comment.
if you are ready for such attacks, you can respond to them appropriately. From your
party’s point of view, you should handle such matters as follows:
always remain calm and matter-of-fact.
alert everyone to any personal attacks launched by your political opponents.
emphasise that personal attacks are bad form and might put a strain on mutual
cooperation in the years to come.
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Most people see nothing unusual in friendly relations with people of completely
different political convictions among fellow club members or friends. if you practice
strength in factual and conciliation in personal matters, you will always have the
advantage.
‘campaign facts’
in the preceding chapter we introduced a special service called ‘campaign facts’: the
objective is to disprove within seconds claims made by popular opposing candidates
at prominent appearances by publishing facts and figures on the internet.
this service is of particular interest to journalists. its purpose is to furnish counter-
arguments to the media and the members of your own party so that they can deal
critically with the claims of your political opponents.
You should similarly use facts and arguments to fight your political opponents on the
spot. You should respond immediately to their claims and announcements so that
these cannot lodge in the minds of journalists and citizens. Furnish the media with
related press releases.
5.6 AcTIvITIES: SymPAThy AdvErTISIng
5.6.1 Events provide topics of conversation: meetings, campaigns, summer
activities
as a candidate or a county branch, you present yourself to the public through events
and activities, representing your party at the same time. events and activities provide
you with opportunities to engage citizens in conversation, inform them about your
policies, and represent your party as an attractive and open-minded organisation.
5.6.2 Event formats
there is a wide variety of events through which you can approach your members,
sympathisers, and target groups:
information events: conferences, expert consultations, idea markets, round tables,
and talk shows
Business-related events: factory tours, evenings round the fireplace for entrepre-
neurs, sMe talks
Cultural events: guided tours, musical programmes, readings, folklore days
social events: regular round tables, contact exchanges, marts for grannies or
holiday jobs, breakfasts, festivities, receptions, discos
internet campaigns: internet café, ‘internet driver’s licences’ for senior citizens
Contests
games: lotteries, raffles.
Whenever a campaign takes place largely in summer, you will have to run a ’soft
contest’: your campaign should then be dominated not by political discussions held
indoors but by holiday events with a leisure touch. they include, for example,
Campaign facts are particularly helpful tools. Set up an internet page for them at, for example, www.campaignfacts.xx
Important public events at which you intend to refute your opponent’s arguments with your own campaign facts should be announced on your homepage as well as via e-mail.
51
culinary events: picknicks, barbecues, afternoon teas, wine evenings,
festivities, excursions, trips,
meetings on environmental issues, and
sports events: football or volleyball tournaments, hiking and cycling tours, contests
for cups.
5.6.3 Sympathy advertising: summertime leisure activities
even in summer, you can reach out to voters through special activities designed for
the most beautiful season of all. ‘sympathy advertising’ is the purpose which such
activities are most likely to serve. We have compiled some suggestions for you, and
we feel certain that you will have any amount of other ideas on the subject. Put all
your proposals up on the internet.
outdoor pools
gather your young people around you and go out to a summer meeting: outdoor
pools, lakes, beer gardens, open-air cinemas, rollerblade nights. at these meetings,
you should hand out witty giveaways, thereby gathering sympathy points for your
party.
outdoor pool parties
some of the smaller outdoor pools are up for rent! ask around whether this can be
done in your constituency. organise your summer festival as a pool party.
Surprises in the park
on sunny sunday afternoons, you and your party might organise a surprise concert
at a popular park within your region. ask a saxophone, accordion, or violin player to
perform a few pieces for a small fee. You should make use of your audience’s curiosity
to introduce yourself as a candidate and/or distribute prospectuses to introduce your
candidate.
holiday parties
organise a party for children and adults who have stayed at home. distribute small
gifts. Maybe you can persuade a baker or a butcher to sponsor the event.
Please note: if you intend to do a barbecue or serve alcoholic beverages, you will
need a licence. inquire early with your municipal administration.
cycling tours
explore your constituency by bicycle. invite your friends as well as interested citizens.
define each day’s run and give others an opportunity to join somewhere along the
line. it may even be possible to amalgamate several of these events into an overall
happening.
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other relaxed but not necessarily summer-related activities include
Jogging meets
as a candidate and/or together with your candidate, you might organise a jogging
meet. this and your political competence will prove that you are a fit candidate for
your town or village.
‘Internet driver’s licences’
You might offer an entry-level internet seminar for senior citizens which lasts for
several hours and is held at your party’s office. at the end, each participant should
receive an ‘internet driver’s licence’. during the seminar you should provide informa-
tion on educational policy.
recipe contest ‘regale yourself with…’
Many people wistfully remember the very special dishes their grandmother or mother
used to make. set a sign against tinned and frozen food and hold a recipe contest:
who knows the best traditional dishes from your region? From the entries, you might
compile a cookery book entitled ‘regale yourself with…’ which might also be presented
on your homepage.
5.6.4 Special activities
Check whether there are occasions for special activities, such as anniversaries of
important political events, the date on which your party was founded, or eminent
political issues. all these furnish good reasons for holding appropriate special events:
parties to celebrate nice occasions or, alternatively, memorial events. such occasions
normally assist in sympathy advertising.
Here are a few examples:
‘birthday receptions’
invite members, friends, and supporters of your party to a reception whenever your
party celebrates a milestone birthday. in addition to brief addresses, there will be
many opportunities to make contact with and talk to people.
invite members who joined your party when it was founded. a report on ‘What was it
like back then?’ followed by an outlook on the work of the coming years will interest
both members and guests. Besides, it will provide tie-ins for contacts and conversa-
tions.
The following rules apply to all suggestions:
Whenever it pays to invite the media to an event, do so.
use every opportunity to collect the e-mail addresses of the people you are talking
to. every one of them makes it easier to communicate with your voters.
For more ideas, look Chapter 6.6, Idea market
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5.6.5 Information events
needless to say, you will have to organise political information events.
subjects will normally suggest themselves: the economy, finances, jobs, tax policy.
then there are local concerns about the quality of life – what is still affordable now
that the financial situation is so difficult? Where will we have to search for alterna-
tives? etc.
invite representatives from politics, the economy, and civil organisations. Have the
courage to invite dissidents on occasion to show that you are open-minded and de-
serve sympathy. However, you should see to it that those who endorse your position
are in the majority. if your meeting is well prepared, you can defend your position
aggressively.
5.6.6 Target groups
People who have not come into contact with your party so far can be most easily
reached by addressing issues that concern them personally. if you do, you will be
approaching a target group, i.e. a group of people whose interests are similar to your
own for reasons relating to their occupation, their age, their financial situation, or
their gender.
invite experts as well as some of the people concerned to discuss specific issues.
even though the opinion of such a group may run counter to that of your party, listen
to what they have to say and do not promise anything that goes beyond your own
position.
thus, you will be able to approach many parents with information and events on
family policy, child care, schools, and education.
events and discussions also serve to introduce sympathisers of your party to its local
representatives, giving your party a ‘face’ and rendering it ‘tangible’ and personable.
remember that it is the target group you want to approach that ‘determines’ the time
and place of your activities.
People with jobs can be approached on their way to and from work, in the evenings or
on weekends.
senior citizens and women with families are normally able to attend daytime events.
Many students will be present at their place of study only during term-time.
if you wish to address a certain target group, you may well find that there are inter-
faces between it and the organisations and/or working groups of your party. try to
cooperate with these, for activities that are conducted jointly will have a greater
impact. Moreover, your credibility will be enhanced if, for example, you invite young
representatives of your party to an event for young people. Moreover, your party’s
organisations can provide you with contacts in the target group you wish to address.
now, what target groups are important for candidates and/or county branches, espe-
cially with regard to the issues that play a role in your campaign? What target groups
have been neglected by the party so far?
54
Potential target groups for your activities include:
employees/unemployed people
entrepreneurs/small and medium-sized enterprises/newcomers
Women
senior citizens/pensioners
Young people/first-time voters
Clubs, honorary officials
Church groups
Public health: patients, doctors, paramedics
education: parents, teachers, educators, pupils/trainees/students
Police officers
Farmers
refugees
Target groups within target groups
all these target groups can be broken down further. thus, the ‘women’ target
group includes the following sub-groups:
Young women undergoing training
single mothers
Childless single women
Childless married women with a job
Working mothers
unemployed women with children
Housewives with adult children
senior citizens
etc.
it is imperative for you to devote particular attention to young voters and first-time
voters in your campaign. they form a large following from which you might benefit.
the ‘young people’ target group may be subdivided into
pupils,
trainees,
students,
young unemployed people,
etc.
Moreover, you should make a great effort in every campaign to talk with older voters.
Target group addresses
Please note: gather addresses of individuals, organisations, clubs, companies, and
institutions in your vicinity, arrange them by target group, and keep your address file
up to date at all times. this will enable you to target your invitations to events on
specific issues.
use every opportunity to gather your contacts’ e-mail addresses! every single one of
them will make it easier for you – and your party headquarters – to communicate
with your target groups.
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5.6.� creating settings
even political events – discussions or talks with target groups – may be adapted to
the season:
e.g. by giving a sociable background to a discussion or a public address,
e.g. by organising events in the open air,
e.g. by hiring buskers to lighten up discussions or talk shows in beer gardens by
playing in the intermissions.
5.� cAnvASSIng: InformATIon STAndS
as ever, information stands offer the most immediate communication options.
Whether they serve as manned information stands or as a ‘home base’ for surveys,
they offer the best opportunities for candidates and campaigners to engage citizens
in conversation. nowhere else is it easier to communicate opinions and inquire about
them.
Yet the character of the information stand has been changing in the last few years.
Many citizens shun them because they are disgusted with politics, impatient with
political decisions in general, or disappointed because politics failed to meet their
unrealistic expectations.
5.�.1 Activities at information stands
these days, people will no longer automatically go to stands to obtain information,
even in a campaign. to make them stop at your information stand so that you can
begin a conversation with them, you have to offer them an experience – not least to
lower their inhibitions about making contact. the examples that follow are also in-
tended to inspire you to develop your own canvassing ideas.
what do you wish to change?
set up a large pinboard and invite citizens to pool their ideas or join in a little contest:
ask people to note down their grievances and pin them to the board – and point out
your party’s solution concept to them.
give away a piece of the campaign
this activity is an obvious winner, especially in the ‘hot phase’ at the end of the
campaign. Have a photographer standing by at your stand to take snapshots of
citizens with you as candidate. Present them with the photograph – by e-mail, for
instance – and one of your giveaways.
Interviews
Furnish a bar table, a pavilion, and a (portable) microphone with loudspeakers and
you are all set to interview your candidates or experts on any given subject at your
stand. a raised platform will give your audience a better view of the interviewees.
special guests may be announced in advance on a blackboard, quoting the time and
the subject of their attendance. in this way, you can target an interested audience.
a portable microphone will even enable citizens to ask questions.
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The ‘classic’: a service for stressed parents and shoppers
if you set up a canvassing stand in a shopping mall on a saturday, you can offer
parents to look after their children. it is imperative to consult a trained child nurse
beforehand who will then take over the task. see to it that the place is enclosed –
there must be a clear distinction between inside and outside. supervision must be
assured. to keep the kids busy, you will, of course, have to have a supply of games,
crayons, etc. Parents returning to pick up their children should be given a goodbye
present – giveaways for the kids and an information brochure on your party’s family
policy etc. for the parents.
5.�.2 Theme-related activities at information stands (examples)
“we will make our health system sustainable”
Many people look at the future of our health-care system with great concern.
Present your party’s concepts.
it is easier to begin a conversation about health policy if you offer a small range of
health-related services at your canvassing stand: test strips for diabetes, a tonom-
eter, or information about relaxation exercises. ask a doctor or chemist from your
party to support you.
“we stand up for domestic security”
ask an expert in security technology to come to your stand and tell visitors how to
protect themselves from crime. Before the start of the holiday season, Cid officers
may give advice on security issues: how do i protect my car from theft in a foreign
country? How do i secure my flat or my house? How can i keep myself safe from
pickpockets? this is a good occasion for engaging citizens in conversation about the
competence of your party in matters relating to domestic security.
“our country needs good economic governance”
set up your canvassing stand in the vicinity of places where there are many working
people about, such as railway stations and bus stops. Present them with a nice little
giveaway to put them in the right mood for the day or the evening. inform the people
– with the aid of flyers and brochures – about your party’s concepts in economic and
labour-market policy.
5.�.3 checklist for activities at your canvassing stand
do you have the approval of the municipality?
is your canvassing team ready?
are members aware of the time and place?
do you have the technical equipment you need?
does your stand design conform to your party’s advertising line?
is information material ready?
are your promotion materials ready?
is there a supply of ‘extras’ (beverages, sweets, etc.)?
Material about political issues is available in the e-shop on your intranet.
5�
5.8 ThE hoT cAmPAIgn PhASE
in the hot phase of a campaign, your aim should be to optimise moods and translate
them into votes. there are two crucial tasks in this context, namely
mobilising members and
mobilising voters.
5.8.1 mobilising members
the first important task in mobilisation comes at the beginning of the preparatory
phase when you need to approach your members and ask them to actively support
you in your campaign.
Party meetings are of importance in mobilising your own members and supporters.
they demonstrate your party’s strength and set the tone for the future.
the last important mobilisation task is to make contact with your members towards
the end of the campaign. this should be done no less than two weeks before the day
of the election.
at this point, members who have not been taking an active part in the campaign for
a variety of reasons should be inspired with the spirit of support.
Clearly suggest that all members should now sit down once again for a talk with their
friends, acquaintances, and relations.
Our chance to win is at stake!
For a good policy for our country!
ask whether more information material is needed to assist in argumentation.
ask for the names, addresses, and, if necessary, telephone numbers of people who
should be contacted directly. Your campaign helpers can then approach these persons
by letter or phone as part of your mobilisation activities.
5.8.2 mobilising voters
Mobilising voters is the objective of your entire campaign. Virtually all activities and
events aim to win peoples’ support for your party and its message, and to persuade
them to vote for your party and its candidates on election day.
to reach as many voters as possible, canvassing is indispensable. done with commit-
ment and conviction, canvassing should be carried out at the greatest possible num-
ber of locations where there are many pedestrians – town centres, shopping malls,
supermarkets. However, a great deal of coverage waste is unavoidable in the process.
there are a number of personal contact options to mobilise voters purposefully,
especially in the last four weeks before election day.
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5.8.3 making contact by letter or e-mail
letters serve to approach members, sympathisers, and sponsors for the first time as
well as to deepen existing contacts. in a letter, you may
enclose information material about your candidate,
enclose brochures on your party’s policies,
give notice of coming events,
solicit donations,
appeal to addressees to join your campaign as volunteers, and
motivate people shortly before election day.
You may also offer the option of entering into a dialogue by enclosing reply cards or
offering personal interviews.
Your mailing campaign will be successful if
your address file is fully up to date or you have researched the addresses you want.
You may also ask your members to help you out with addresses;
you address people personally; the recipient’s name should appear on the letter
itself as well as on the envelope. remember that many people react angrily if their
name is mis-spelt. For this reason, it is imperative that no errors should creep into
your address file;
the envelope stands out against the mass of daily mail – because it is neutral, or
because it bears an eye-catching imprint, for example;
your letter is easy to read and understand. keep it as short as possible; it should
be no longer than a page and a half. Highlight your most important concern and
avoid confusing recipients with a multitude of different matters;
the layout of your letter is transparent, clear-cut, and free from errors. the logo
of your party is a must;
your mailing campaign is timed carefully;
you consider beforehand whether you intend to write only the one letter to a given
group of recipients or send several letters to the same addressees in the course of
your campaign. the content of your letters should be planned accordingly;
a Ps is an eye-catcher – use it to place an important message!
depending on your financial resources, you may post your letters in various ways,
as follows:
send them by national mail or any private service.
Have them distributed to households by volunteer helpers.
Have a professional direct-marketing agency produce and mail your letters.
send them by e-mail to the addresses on your mailing list.
letters addressing specific target groups are a good way to make first contact.
Face-to-face talks could be the second step on the way towards building sustainable
contacts with your party and its candidate.
If you have any questions about mailing campaings or if you need information and assistance, contact
Mrs Jane Doe: 0147852369E-mail: [email protected]
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5.8.4 Telephone marketing
the importance of the telephone as a tool for mobilising members and voters is
growing steadily, particularly in the ‘hot phase’ of a campaign.
objectives of mobilising members by phone:
‘Vote for our party!’ (minimum objective)
‘Come to our meetings!’ (naming a few events that might be suitable)
‘assist us actively in our campaign!’ (name options and ask which might do)
‘support our campaign with a donation!’
objectives of mobilising voters by phone:
‘Vote for us!’
Preparations
a well-organised telephone marketing campaign calls for thorough preparation. Many
organisations have their telephone teams trained beforehand. if you do plan to use
this tool but are unable to run preparatory training courses for reasons of time, here
are a few important comments:
Applicable legal regulations
Important: In active telephone marketing, we need to distinguish between cam-
paigns that address members and non-members
Campaigns addressing members are legally secured by relevant clauses in the
declaration of membership.
Approaching citizens by phone, fax, or e-mail is legally inadmissible as every
individual ‘is entitled to remain undisturbed in his or her constitutionally protected
private sphere’. Parties are not privileged in this regard!
There is no legal objection to approaching non-members by telephone etc. if the
person contacted has agreed in writing beforehand.
In point of fact, this is impossible to realise.
Nevertheless, there are some conceivable although limited variants of tel-
ephone marketing that might be used:
First, telephone marketing may be restricted to personal friends and acquaintances,
with each campaigner drawing up a list of his own and calling only those persons
named in it.
Second, calls may be made on the basis of concrete recommendations (Mr/Mrs Doe
has referred us to you.). This would be an artificial way of establishing personal
contact.
Third, recipients may be given an opportunity to object by, for example, announcing
the time at which they are going to be called in flyers or personalised letters (e.g.
Monday between 4 and 5 pm).
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Important: Do not drop any mail into postboxes that display a sticker saying ‘No
advertisements please’! (This also applies to so-called election information papers.
Exception: direct personal approach)
The team
You will need a sufficient number of persons. Your dispositions should be guided by
your targets and the number of available phones. ask your members whether they
would like to chip in. some members may already have come forward after your letter
of appeal. at all events, telephone calls should be made in the team, not from home.
telephoning comes easier in a team. exchanging views motivates and relieves people,
with a positive effect on the results.
The place
Many party offices do not have either the accommodation or the technical equipment
required for such a campaign. ask around among friendly small or medium-sized
enterprises whether you can have the use of their offices for your telephone campaign
after working hours.
Please do not put four or five telephone team members in the same room, or the
people being called will get the impression that they are involved in a mass campaign.
and that would be counter-productive.
The time
Weekdays or saturdays: 9-12 am | 10-12 am
4-7.45 pm | 2-6 pm
never on sunday!
Calls should not be made while the main news broadcasts are being aired.
give consideration to important tV events, such as football matches.
The target group
For the mobilisation of voters by phone to be successful, we urgently recommend
calling persons that are close to you. Your organisation may have a sympathiser file
which serves very well as a basis, provided it is updated regularly. Voter-potential
analyses may also provide a sound foundation for telephone campaigns.
Working your way through the phonebook makes little sense because there is a risk
that you might be mobilising your political opponents.
The conversation
When telephoning, it is important to have what is called a red thread to guide you
through the conversation. in Chapter 6.4 you will find instructions for mobilising
members and voters as well as a template for a ‘contact form sheet’.
The outcome
note down the outcome of a conversation right after hanging up. Your contact report
is highly important! after your fourth call, you will have forgotten all about the out-
come of the first. so make a note immediately.
Supporter teams are ideal for telephone marketing and espe-cially for mobilisation activities at the end of a campaign.
Mrs Jane Doe: 0147852369E-mail: [email protected]
Join early. For information, go to www.supporter-team.party.xx
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CHaPter 6: aPPendiX
6.1 mEdIA worK
Only an event that was covered by the media has taken place.
of course you have enough on your plate preparing and implementing campaign
events. and now, on top of it all, you have to work with the press! But what good is
even the best of events if only a few people learn about it?
the more people you reach with a message, the greater will be the ultimate success
of your own endeavours. in today’s media-dominated society, involving the media is
indispensable. even if your meeting room is packed, you will only reach a limited
number of people, while your outreach will be much greater if the meeting is covered
by the media. Political statements made behind closed doors will never interest a
voter.
6.1.1 The basic rules of media relations
always take media work seriously.
appoint a media relations manager within your organisation.
define precisely the channels through which information should reach the public
and the matters that require internal harmonisation beforehand.
invitations to the press to cover an event should be planned a long way ahead.
reports in the local media should be followed and evaluated continuously. only this
enables you to stay on top of things and respond quickly whenever necessary.
all media of local relevance, including advertisers, scene papers, internet portals,
and club newsletters should feature in your press work.
Make and maintain personal contacts with the media: if you know a journalist per-
sonally, you can get many messages published that would have gone unmentioned
otherwise.
6.1.2 relations with the media
the first rule that applies to the media also governs political activities of every kind:
you are dealing with people, not with papers or radio/television channels.
Beyond your purely political activities, therefore, you should try and establish and, of
course, cultivate contacts with local journalists. You should know the people who are
covering your political activities in the media.
Conversely, journalists should have a permanent contact to turn to. if you are not
handling your own press relations,
remember to keep your press spokesman well informed at all times so that he is
accepted in his role as contact;
inform the media about who is acting as contact for the press;
arrange a meeting at which your press spokesman and the representatives of the
media can become acquainted; and
make sure that the media are in possession of your current telephone, fax, and
e-mail addresses.
Your party should offer seminars on public relations and rhetoric on a regular basis, independently of campaigns.
You will find literature references in chapter 6.7.4 (Appendix).
62
6.1.3 media work is contact work
regarding your day-to-day relations with the media you should know that while you
will mostly be dealing with the same reporters they are all integrated in a fixed hier-
archical structure within their departments. You should be familiar with this hierarchy
whenever you approach an editor. especially where events of a representative charac-
ter are concerned, invitations must be issued to the chief as a matter of course.
Cultivating contacts with journalists is particularly important during a campaign. if
you intend to pay a visit, you should turn first to the editor-in-chief or his deputy;
where a major paper is concerned, you might address the head of the local desk.
then, you should visit the local department, for this is where your partners are.
existing contacts should be cultivated through regular telephone calls.
there is no magic formula for relations with journalists. However, you should always
be frank in your dealings with the press. show that you are approachable. to this
end, you should meet representatives of the press face to face at regular intervals –
invite them to lunch, for example, to talk with them and exchange information. How-
ever, you should not appear obtrusive, so you should exercise a certain measure of
restraint. never try to impose your opinion on journalists. a journalist who feels that
you are attempting to ‘dictate’ his article to him will normally respond negatively.
6.1.4 use the entire range of media wherever possible!
the spectrum of media you may use in your activities is wide, ranging from classical
dailies and local radio stations via advertisers, scene rags, local internet formats, and
technical journals to the regional studios of public and private television and radio
channels.
the regional offices of press agencies are important multipliers, too.
in your press work, you should also keep an eye on technical journals, internet ap-
pearances, and the publications of friendly organisations.
6.1.5 Journalists need information – you have it!
Journalists depend on a continuous flow of information from your party for their
reports.
at regular intervals (e.g. at the start of each month), you should mail a preview of
the events you have planned; this makes scheduling easier for the media.
Create and maintain a press mailing list so that you can supply editorial offices with
information regularly.
and last but not least: see to it that all editors have your current mailing address,
telephone and fax number, and e-mail address. Your availability or that of your
press spokesman must be assured.
6.1.6 Press releases
Whenever an event held by you has not been attended by a journalist, ask your press
spokesman to write up a report about the meeting and send it – accompanied by a
photograph, if possible – to ‘your’ local desk or ‘your’ advertiser.
63
Being understaffed, many editorial offices are unable to cover events because no
editor happens to be available and the budget for freelancers’ fees is exhausted. this
is why press releases and event reports mailed to an editor have a good chance of
being printed, particularly at the local level. the more these reports conform to jour-
nalistic criteria (up-to-date, matter-of-fact, concise, well-structured), the greater the
chance of hardly any change being made to the text.
avoid judgemental statements in your event reports.
to give variety to the text, do not forget to include quotations from the keynote
speakers (example: ‘during the conference, the candidate argued against enhanc-
ing bureaucracy. “the implementation of the recruitment directive that is planned
by the violet party shows how the economy is being disenfranchised. a flood of
rules obstructs the creation of urgently needed jobs”, Mrs XY said’.).
try to take digital photographs during the event. they are available immediately, so
that they can be sent by e-mail together with your report.
once again: the more up-to-date, the better.
6.1.� creating and updating press mailing lists
For your press relations to be optimal, you should observe the following rules:
Create a press mailing list that includes local as well as national media. review and
update it at regular intervals.
see to it that your message is really of interest to the journalists you are address-
ing. there is nothing worse than creating the impression that you have nothing im-
portant to say. once this has happened, even your key press releases will not be
published.
Many journalists will be grateful if you send them your press releases not only by
fax but also in electronic format by e-mail.
if you have your own internet appearance you can, of course, put up press releases
for downloading. needless to say, the same holds true for photos and any other
documents that might be important to the press.
remember to advertise your internet appearance.
6.1.8 closing times
Consider the closing times of the various media when you send a message to the
press. remember: latecomers may be published later or not at all.
to coincide with the schedules of newspaper departments, faxes or mails should
arrive by noon at the latest.
While local radio stations do not have closing times as narrow as those of the pa-
pers, reports should not come in too late nevertheless. local stations continuously
update their news broadcasts. the hours of the morning are particularly interesting
because listeners are especially numerous at that time. Moreover, the flow of news
tends to dry up in the morning.
64
6.1.9 Photos
newspaper editors should always have good portrait photographs available. Most
desks have their own photo archives containing such pictures. if, however, the same
picture of your candidate keeps cropping up, and if it shows him or her making a face,
which is worse, you should have a new picture taken by a professional photographer
and mail it to the editor together with a nice letter; he or she is sure to be grateful for
it.
Moreover, you should use your own internet homepage. an archive containing photo-
graphs of current events that can be downloaded is sure to be used gratefully by
many journalists. However, you should see to it that the photos you offer for down-
loading have a resolution high enough for printing.
6.2 formS of mEdIA worK
6.2.1 Advance announcements
announcements should be mailed to newspapers, local radio stations, and internet
portals about one week before the event. length: three to five sentences. the most
important information about the event (subject, celebrity speaker) should be given at
the beginning. needless to say, questions about When and Where need
to be answered as well.
6.2.2 Event reports
after every political event, a report should be written and forwarded to the editors on
the next day, if possible, whenever the local media were not invited or present.
event reports, too, should start off with the most important fact, which may be an
occurrence, a demand, a resolution, or an important recent decision about your
party’s personnel (see Press releases).
6.2.3 Press releases
Press releases form the most frequently used instrument in your media toolkit.
through them, you announce your position or respond to statements made by your
political opponents.
needless to say, you should also use them to announce all public events held by your
organisation.
the success of a press release depends first on its news value and second on its
layout. always put yourself in the shoes of an editor who has your message on his
desk and is supposed to deal with it.
Always remember the five important ‘Ws’ of press work: who said what,
when, where, and why? All press releases should cover these five points.
the basic rule is that all press releases should be ‘palatable’.
Tip: You will create a recognition effect if you succeed in placing your candidate’s poster photo in the media.
You should publish your party’s press releases on your homepage (www.party.xx) under the heading of ‘Press centre’
Your aim must be to formulate your press releases so that they can be printed with-
out alteration. While journalists will not do that as a general rule, they will certainly
be grateful if the text you are offering is easily understood and well dressed up.
Press releases should be sent only if you really have something to say. once again,
it is quality that counts, not quantity. Meaningless press releases do not have a
chance of being printed; they will very likely end up in the waste basket. Press
releases longer than one page should be the exception.
Be brief. editors often work under pressure and have little time to read endless
press releases on top of it all.
- Your header should also be a teaser.
- Pack your message into the first lines of your text.
- Press releases generally do not adhere to the classical structure of an account,
which is introduction – main part – conclusion.
Come to the point immediately. You do not need to follow the chronology of the
event you are covering: even if the most important aspect should have emerged
only at the end of your meeting, it must be mentioned first in your press release.
avoid foreign words, and remember to explain technical terms (not everyone
knows, for example, how to interpret a term like ’basic social security’). the ’lan-
guage of politics’ is not immediately transparent to your ordinary citizen.
the source of a press release should be identifiable from its appearance. see to
it, therefore, that the layout is uniform and follows, if at all possible, your party’s
current advertising line. Your party’s logo should of course appear prominently on
your letters and faxes to the press.
You might mail your press releases under the heading ‘party media service’. do not
forget to give the date.
occasionally, press releases are embargoed to ensure that a certain event is covered
simultaneously by all the media. You will not need to do this as a general rule. embar-
going makes sense only if advance copies of speech manuscripts are distributed
which, however, should always bear the caution ‘Check against delivery’.
A tip: in your press work, you should take advantage of press releases from your
party’s headquarters or your parliamentary party:
explain the local implications of comments made by your party leaders on subjects
like the economy, the labour market, health, education, etc.
always choose a local peg for your press release which, in turn, should be based on
a recent press release of your party.
6.2.4 Interviews
statements quoted verbatim will enliven any article, and everyone likes to read a
face-to-face conversation. remember this whenever you are asked to give an inter-
view. You should always follow a request for comments: you will have an excellent
opportunity to communicate your position to a large audience.
Moreover, there is hardly a journalist who will not publish an interview for which he
has asked you.
66
to prepare yourself for an interview as best you can, you should observe the following
rules:
always ask about the subject of an interview before it takes place.
restrict its range whenever possible.
Marshal your facts before the interview.
also consider what questions the interviewer might ask about matters not related
to the topics specified beforehand (general political situation).
a journalist interviewing you for a newspaper has two options: publishing the inter-
view verbatim, or writing an editorial report about your conversation.
Please remember:
When an interview is to be printed verbatim, you should arrange beforehand for
the text to be submitted to you for approval before publication. this enables you to
correct, concretise, and even delete any of the statements quoted. it often happens
that the effect and impact of the spoken word changes completely as soon as it is
written down. if you make any changes, your interviewer will very probably object
initially. However, you need not fear that any atmospheric disturbances might re-
sult: for journalists, it is standard practice to submit an interview for approval if this
has been agreed in advance.
similarly, you should have any statements that will be quoted verbatim submitted
to you for approval if your interview is to be covered in an editorial report. in this
case, however, the journalist will not be obliged to submit not only the quotations
but the entire text of the report to you in advance.
radio interviews, too, come in a variety of formats:
You may visit a studio for a prolonged interview.
a reported may ask you for a ’sound bite’ (brief interview) on the fringes of an
event or in your office.
You may be asked for a comment on the phone.
Important:
ask in advance whether the interview is to be recorded or broadcast live. Whichever
is the case, you should clarify the questions and limit the subject beforehand. if you
do not feel sure, ask that the interview be recorded. You may then repeat any an-
swers which you thought were not satisfactory.
You will certainly be on the right side if you take somebody along to an interview. two
people not only see more than one, they also hear more.
Most television interviews are recorded either in a studio or by a camera team. once
again, of course, you should remember to restrict the subject and marshal your facts.
Please remember:
no matter whether your interview is recorded or broadcast live, the impression a
viewer obtains during a tV interview only partly depends on what you have to say
about the subject matter. Your appearance is at least of equal importance:
6�
Be calm and relaxed when you go to an interview. try to avoid time pressure.
Make sure that your dress fits the occasion (no chequered jackets: they cause im-
ages to flicker), that your colours match, your shirt buttons are closed, your tie is
properly knotted, your hair is in order, etc.
another item of importance is the background against which you will appear: avoid
white walls, keep an eye on objects hanging on the wall behind you on a level with
you head as well as on badly placed ceiling lights that may give you a ‘halo’ on the
air.
it is always a good idea to take someone along to keep an eye on these things.
do not be taken aback when only a short clip of your interview is actually aired.
it often happens that only core statements are used in reports.
When preparing for an interview, you should always formulate an essential mes-
sage. an interview that lacks a message or a major statement is of no use either
to you or the journalist. You had best put your message right at the beginning of
your statement. if your interviewer asks any follow-up questions, you may repeat
your message to make sure it lodges in the minds of your audience.
6.2.5 letters to the editor
letters to the editor attract a great deal of attention among readers. newspapers
editors, too, accord ever greater priority to these letters by, for example, reserving
entire pages for them in their saturday editions. unlike reports, letters to the editor
may and should reflect your personal opinion. they are ideal for responding to mate-
rials published in newspapers or to attacks by your political opponents.
Our tip: write spontaneous letters to the editor of your paper in which you comment
on important reports about matters of local or regional policy.
nearly all editors-in-chief reserve the right to edit letters to the editor. therefore, the
briefer and more concise a letter is, the greater its chance of being printed in its
entirety.
6.2.6 Tips and tricks from the toolkit
good reasons for every occasion
invite journalists to press conferences or round-tables only if an important issue or
occasion is at hand. such meetings may be held in places that furnish a good back-
ground for photographs; thus, if the subject is educational policy, you might hold a
press conference in front of a school building. Have something new to offer to the
media. remember, a journalist’s time is scarce, so that press conferences should be
held only for important reasons.
media-appropriate rooms and party logos
see to it that the environment fits the needs of the media. avoid dark rooms or
gloomy chambers. seek out bright and modern rooms that create a friendly atmos-
phere. remember, the overall setting should be attractive.
68
Camera teams or photographers should be given opportunities to take interesting
pictures.
Whenever an event involves the press, there is no harm done when people can see
that it was organised by your party: your party’s logos, flags, and standards are not
only admissible but desirable!
Press conferences and round-tables
Press conferences should be scheduled late in the morning so as to enable journal-
ists to get to your event after their early editorial meetings. Moreover, statements
should not take more than five to ten minutes, and journalists should be given an
opportunity to ask questions. at all events, statements should be made by no more
than three persons. You should offer something to drink and possibly a little snack.
Radio reporters never appear at a press conference without a small cassette re-
corder, occasionally creating a great disturbance throughout the event because the
microphone cable has to be laid out, sound levels have to be checked at the recorder,
etc. You should tell radio reporters that you will be available for personal interviews
or statements after the press conference is over.
at events involving the press, you should furnish a press folder containing your
press statements for the occasion. You can make the journalists’ work easier by
providing them with a written account of the subject discussed at the press confer-
ence. When appropriate, you may include flyers, action postcards, or photo-
graphs in your press folder.
offer live chats to dailies with their own homepage as well as to other internet
portals. as a candidate, you should offer a ‘home story’ that shows the private side
of your life together with your family, your pets, your hobbies, and your favourite
places.
what if your press work does not work out well?
the success of your media activity cannot be measured only by the reports that
appear the next day. this view is too restricted. do not be discouraged if the quality
or quantity of the press response is not all you would wish it to be.
Frequently, the reasons why other events were covered while yours was not are very
simple.
it is much more important for you to establish and cultivate contacts with the press
on an ongoing basis. Journalists are the rapporteurs of the public. if you succeed in
winning the lasting esteem of the journalists through you own press work, their
reports will reflect it. their political convictions will be of no relevance in this context.
misunderstandings with journalists
Do not over-react to faulty reporting!
if you think you have been treated unfairly by journalists because they did not report
on your work positively, you should not immediately complain to the editor in charge
or the chief editor, or even demand a counter-declaration.
69
You might talk to the journalist in question on the next occasion without making an
issue of the matter. often, talking to journalists will get you further than complaining
to the editor-in-chief. the publication of another article in which misrepresentations
are put right it is better than a formal counter-representation.
Evaluating the press
again and again, the impression arises that the press is biased in favour of the other
side. Whether this impression is justified or not can be documented objectively by
evaluating the press.
this being so, we recommend
collecting all press materials about all parties during a campaign,
gathering photo reports, and briefly evaluating press reports at intervals under the
following criteria:
- Comparative length of materials reporting on events etc. held by the parties
- number of photographs showing party events
- are there any ‘judgemental’ materials in which the personal opinion of a journalist
or editor appears?
are there any comments, opinions, or polemics? Where are they aimed?
Be very circumspect even when you have good reason to doubt that an article is
objective. You should first approach the journalist in question and the chief editor
after that, if required.
there is another advantage to evaluating the press:
Comparing reports always implies comparing activities. this enables you to act on
your own and react to the activities of others.
�0
6.2.� Sample press release
bigtown, october 20, 200x
‘our Party’ for a modern and equitable health system Mrs Miller, mayoral candidate: We cannot have first and second-class patients. last evening, the Bigtown branch of ‘our Party’ held a discus-sion meeting on health policy in the lobby of the ‘good Health’ clinic. the discussion panel included the candidate of ‘our Party’, Catherine Miller, Peter evans, a Bigtown gP, and irving Jones, Ceo of the Bigtown health insurance. Mary smith, chairperson of the ‘our Party’ county branch, presided over the debate. Mrs Miller, Mr evans, and Mrs smith highlighted the difficult situation which patients and doctors in Bigtown are facing because of the steps taken by mayor ralph Baker of the ‘other Party’. reporting on her conversations with citizens, candidate Miller (36), a nurse until 1995, said, ‘Many people who often require the services of a hospital feel like second-class patients by now.’ enlarging on this remark, Mr Jones said that the decisions currently enforced would be rescinded if ‘our Party’ should win the mayoral elections. numbering nearly a hundred persons, the audience included patients from the clinic as well as citizens of Bigtown. For questions about the event, contact the chairperson of ‘our Party’, Mary smith, phone (03333) 33333, e-mail [email protected]
give the place and date!
mention the most important point in the title! Subtitle: what does the candidate say? A press release should start off with the most important information: who, how, what, when, where. you should answer these questions right at the beginning of your text. To introduce persons mentioned in the text, specify their christian and sur-names as well as their function and, where applicable, their age. uncommon acronyms must be spelled out once. Avoid judgemental statements.
offer quotations as well as indirect speech in your text. Keep your sentences brief and your lan-guage clear and simple. detailed information should be given at the end of your press release. name a contact.
6.3 PlAnnIng And dESIgnIng AdvErTISEmEnTS
advertisements placed in local papers, advertisers, city magazines, or club newslet-
ters may support a campaign – if they are properly targeted.
the extent of any nationwide promotion campaign will have to be decided by your
party’s leaders. the activities thus planned should be communicated to county
branches and candidates in good time.
should you intend to publish advertisements of your own in the local press, here are
a few comments:
ask all media about advertisement prices and statistical data (circulation, reader-
ship, etc.) right at the beginning of the campaign.
inform yourself about the difference in price between advertisements printed in
duotone, duotone plus one colour, and four colours.
Check which of the media will be the best place for your advertisements. Which
among them have more than the average proportion of your supporters among
their users?
�1
Which media will enable you to reach the greatest number of readers? Can you ap-
proach young target groups and especially first-time voters through advertisements
in your city magazine or scene journal?
Plan the budget available for advertisements at an early time.
the timing and frequency of adverts dealing with event highlights, key issues, voter
appeals, specific campaigns etc. should also be defined in good time.
the layout of your advertisements should follow your party’s design. do not swamp
an ad with information. keep your message clear and brief.
the larger an advertisement, the greater the attention it gets. if its size is equal to
c. one fifth of a page, 42% of readers will look at it, whereas full-page adverts will
be looked at by 70% of readers.
Colour advertisements receive more attention than duotone ads.
Colour advertisements tend to involve readers more emotionally in their message.
the advertisement section of a daily contains individually designed as well as classi-
fied ads. it normally includes, for example, advertisements placed by car dealers
and travel agencies as well as job offers.
the editorial section contains a daily’s journalistic coverage. readers pay consider-
ably more attention to it than to the advertisements. However, there are specific re-
strictions and formats applying to this section. We recommend placing your adver-
tisements in the editorial section.
depending on the daily in question, various size restrictions may apply to advertise-
ments in the editorial section. the average minimum size required for such an ad-
vertisement is one quarter of a page. While colour advertisements may be smaller,
they will appear only in the advert section.
as a general rule, dailies appear on every working day, saturdays included. submis-
sion deadlines for advertisements and copy may differ, depending on the daily con-
cerned as well as on the colour scheme and type of the advertisement.
remember that advertisement cancellations are subject to deadlines that differ
from paper to paper.
the earlier you book an advertisement, the greater the probability that it will ap-
pear where you want it. advertisements booked for a sub-edition will always appear
in the local section. some papers restrict the space for colour advertisements.
6.4 chEcKlISTS, guIdES, And oThEr mATErIAl
in the following, you will find guides and other material relating to the mobilisation of
voters and members as well as the documentation of contacts.
although the guides are for information only, they are designed to provide even
inexperienced helpers with blueprints for phone calls to members and voters.
�2
candidate checklist
Known/popular with own party Key polit. competitor others
own party members
voters:
Young people
People between 30 and 50
older people
Women
Men
civic initiatives
clubs and organisations
church groups
leaders in economy and administration
Trade unions
Journalists
People from the cultural sector
credible communication of issues in
economic and labour-market policy
social policy
Family policy
domestic security
educational/research policy
environmental policy
Political experience/offices held previously
Party competitor others
media presence
Papers, advertisers
radio, television
number of public appearances (as speaker etc.)
rhetoric skills
number and quality of communication tools used (telephone marketing, mailings, internet page, etc.)
campaign team capacity
Available funds
depending on your assessment, enter the following symbols in the relevant boxes:
“+” for above average
“0” for average
“-” for below average
if you compare your critical assessments afterwards, your campaign plans will
become that much clearer.
�3
Event and activity checklist
as a general rule, you should review the framework conditions defined by you before
and after any event, no matter whether it is political, anterior to politics, leisure-
oriented, target group-specific, whether it serves as a platform for information, a
debate, or a speaker, whether it is held indoors or concerns canvassing.
checklist for preparing events and activities
Which is the appropriate time and place?
What is the theme of the event? Which message would you like to get across?
How do you intend to notify the public? By placing an advertisement in the run-up
or by announcing it in your circular or through telephone calls? Will you be putting
up posters? or will you be inviting a specific group of persons in a specifically de-
signed letter of invitation?
What cost will you have to reckon with?
Have you informed the media about the event?
What information material do you have to offer?
What promotion materials will you need to enable your visitors and guests to take
home ‘a piece of your party’?
Very important:
• do you need any approvals, and if so, have they been obtained?
checklist for following up events and activities
did any citizens approach you with complaints or concerns during the event? Pick
these comments up again after the event. demonstrate your commitment to the
people.
Was the resonance of the event everything you desired?
Was there a reasonable relationship between cost and benefit?
voter mobilisation guideline
Smile! Sound optimistic and natural!
Party __________ office of __________ (candidate’s Christian and surname, no title) My name is __________ (Christian/surname). good morning/afternoon/evening! am i talking with __________ (Christian/surname)? Very good! Mr/Mrs__________ (surname), i hope i am not disturbing you. Can you spare a minute?
�4
Yes, depending:
that is kind of you. i am calling on behalf of our candidate for parliament, __________ (Christian/surname). Mr/Mrs (Christian/surname) says to ask you very cordially to exercise your right to vote and go to the polls on __________ (election day). Brief political message for the election and that was all, Mr/Mrs (surname)! i do not want to keep you any longer. thank you very much, and have a nice day/evening. good-bye.
No:
that is a pity, but that can’t be helped. Have a nice day/evening, Mr/Mrs (surname). good-bye.
voter mobilisation guideline
Invitations to events
Smile! Sound optimistic and natural! Yes:
Party__________
office of __________(candidate’s Christian and surname, no title) My name is __________ (Christian/surname). good morning/afternoon/evening! am i talking with __________ (Christian/surname)? Very good! Mr/Mrs __________ (surname), i am calling on behalf of our candidate, __________ (Christian/surname). today we should like to invite you personally to two im-portant events. the first will take place with __________at _____ on_____, the second with __________ at ____ on _____. do you have the time to come to one or both of these events, and are you interested?
Yes: in this case, we shall be pleased to reserve a seat for you/mail a ticket to you. if you are interested in other events as well, you can look at our schedule on the internet at www.party-events.xx. or would you like us to send you a schedule?
No: that is a pity, but it can’t be helped. Have a nice day/evening, Mr/Mrs (surname). good-bye.
�5
member mobilisation guide
Example: member mobilisation 1 – campaign organisation
Smile! Sound optimistic and natural!
Mr/Mrs__________ (surname), in this election campaign we need many helpers to tell friends, neigh-bours, and acquaintances about how much our party means for this region. We must not gamble away the future of our country.
Could you see your way to supporting us in our cam-paign? Would you be willing to cooperate actively?
Yes!
Mr/Mrs __________ (surname), one field in which we need your help is making personal contact
(Activities like handing out flyers, pasting up of post-ers, manning canvassing stands, running the campaign taxi)
with voters who sympathize with us in order to ask them to exercise their right to vote.
other fields in which we need support include: ______
Can you see your way to becoming one of the active members of our team?
Yes! I could... i think that’s great!
then we will be mailing the relevant documents to you in the next few days/we will be calling you in the next few days to make concrete arrangements for your work.
Mr/Mrs __________ (surname), all that remains for me to do at present is to thank you very cordially for your spontaneous agreement and to wish you a nice day/evening.
good-bye!
No! I do not want to/cannot cooperate actively because...
Yes, i understand. there is nothing anybody can do about that, of course.
(depending on the answer, you may mention dona-tions; otherwise…)
Mr/Mrs __________ (surname), thank you cordially for the conversation on behalf of myself and __________. Have a nice day/evening!
good-bye!
member mobilisation guide
Example: member mobilisation 2 – hot campaign phase
Smile! Sound optimistic and natural!
Mr/Mrs _________ (surname), the campaign is almost over now. We will be electing our next government in a few days’ time. Mr/Mrs __________ (surname), we need you to assist us in, for example, making personal contact with vot-ers who sympathise with us in order to urge them to exercise their right to vote.in the last days of this campaign, could you please try once again to convince your friends, neighbours, and acquaintances of the importance of this election?Would you be prepared to do this for us in your neigh-bourhood for the next few days?
(No, because....) (that is a pity.)
�6
Yes! Could you give us the names of neighbours or friends whom we might ring on your recommendation?
We would ring up these people from headquarters, mentioning your name by way of introduction. ____________________ ____________________
Mr/Mrs __________ (surname), on behalf of ________ i should like to thank you very cordially for talking with me. Have a nice day/evening!
good-bye.
Sample letter from a first-time parliamentary candidate to the party
members in his region
Mr/Mrs _________________ _________________
dear Mr/Mrs _________________, permit me to introduce myself briefly. My name is __________, and i am standing for parliament for the first time this year.
unfortunately, i have not had a chance so far to meet you personally. i hope that the opportunity for a personal conversation will arise in the near future. today, i should like to give you a summary of my CV and my most important objectives.
Brief CV (age, profession, political career and objectives, major fields of activity, children, hobbies)
You will find more details on my homepage, www.john-doe.xx
the coming election presents our country with a great chance for its future development.
(if your party is currently in government, describe its achievements in brief sentences at this point. do not mention more than three subjects. enumerate the tasks that need to be tackled next. if your party is currently in opposition, specify the problems that have remained unresolved together with your own solu-tion proposals.) our own richard roe is a top candidate with a great deal of experience who is ready to tackle any problem. However, it is here on the spot that we are laying the foundations for the victory of our party. so, please help me in this campaign so that our party may be successful on election day. give us a hand in the campaign, for every hand is needed. You may either fill in the enclosed reply form or call the head office of our county branch (telephone number). You may also register with the supporter team of our party online at www.supporter-team.xx. as ever, we will be grateful for any donation in support of our work. i should be happy to hear from you. if you have any questions, ring me any time: (telephone number/availability). With kind regards, (signature)
Sample letter from an mP of long standing to the members in his region
Mr/Mrs____________________
dear Mr/Mrs __________,
as i shall be standing for parliament again this year, i am asking you for your support.
the coming election presents our country with a great chance for its future devel-opment.
(if your party is currently in government, describe its achievements in brief sentences at this point. do not mention more than three subjects. enumerate the tasks that need to be tackled next. if your party is currently in opposition, specify the problems that have remained unresolved together with your own solu-tion proposals.)
our own richard roe is a top candidate with a great deal of experience who is ready to tackle any problem. However, it is here on the spot that we are laying the foundations for the victory of our party.
so, please help me in this campaign so that our party may be successful on election day. give us a hand in the campaign, for every hand is needed. You may either fill in the enclosed reply form or call the head office at our county branch (telephone number).
You may also register with the supporter team of our party online at www.supporter-team.xx.
as ever, we will be grateful for any donation in support of our work. i should be happy to hear from you.
if you have any questions, ring me any time: (telephone number/availability).
With kind regards, (signature)
contact report
Address _________________________________________________________________________________
Call attempts number 1 2 3
date
talked with
Caller id
Result talked with contact talked with spouse talked with another person no contact after three attempts
Atmosphere Very good good average Bad
Remarks/notes ___________________________ ___________________________
�8
Important hints for telephone marketing
smile! sound optimistic and natural! People on the phone cannot see your smile,
but they can hear it! For your voice changes if you smile.
You should quote a reference that is as high as possible but nevertheless realistic.
Your contact is more likely to be impressed if you refer to the name of your candi-
date rather than your county branch.
extremes always have a negative effect. so talk neither too loudly nor too quietly,
neither too slowly nor too quickly.
avoid phrases like: we are doing a telephone campaign, we are ringing everybody,
data, files, lists, etc.
introduce yourself clearly: ’office of the candidate of our Party, richard roe. My
name is Mary Jones. am i talking to John smith?’
after one hour’s telephoning, your team should inform one another about the argu-
ments they have been using in reply to objections. For you can respond more swift-
ly to objections you know.
do not take it personally if someone you are calling replies angrily. always say
thank you at the end of a conversation.
Before you pick up the phone, you should have your working material ready, includ-
ing your conversation guide, contact report, pen, political argumentation material,
and event calendar.
Be brief! remember not to go into too much detail. the objective is to make suc-
cessful calls to as many people as possible.
checklist for mass events
1. venue: date: __________
time: __________
Capacity: __________
speaker’s route: __________
�9
Meeting point: __________
departure: __________
interview room: __________ (refreshments)
room rental: __________ (contact)
registration: __________ (with the municipality for open-air events)
2. Stage: type: __________
location: __________
Backdrop: __________
setup: __________
Personnel: __________
3. folding benches: __________ (for 200 persons before the stage; open-air events only)
4. riot fencing: __________ (police safety zone before the stage in open-air events)
5. Equipment:sound: __________
Power: __________
6. Entertainment:
Music: __________
Catering: __________ (self-catering requires municipal permit)
�. list of speakers:
keynote address:
__________ (welcome, c. 5 min.)
__________ (concluding remarks, c. 5 min.)
8. Police information:
__________ (contact)
__________ (availability)
9. Police situation: __________ (security-relevant information, scene, demos, etc.)
10. usher service:
__________ (number, one woman minimum because of possible controls)
__________ (contact)
__________ (briefing on the spot, with police)
11. gate check-in: __________ (control by means of buttons, invitations, etc.)
12. Public order office: __________ (contact)
__________ (availability)
13. first-aid service: __________ (institution)
__________ (availability/on the spot)
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14. hospital: __________ (inform in case of emergencies)
15. Publicity: __________ (posters)
__________ (information for the regional press)
__________ (advertisements/organs)
__________ (canvassing etc.)
16. Press: __________ (incl. hospitality) (specify place/contacts)
1�. Special requests: __________ (e.g. guest book, present, interview requests, etc.)
to prepare the appearance of a speaker, special questionnaires should be mailed from
headquarters to the party branch office in charge.
checklist for speeches and public appearances
standing for parliament on behalf of your party, you will be continually going to
events where you are frequently expected to make a speech. if you represent your
party in an official function, you will be similarly in demand as a speaker.
to prepare your public appearances, you should consider the following questions:
How much time will i have for my presentation, and how much has been allotted to
questions and answers afterwards?
What kind of locality has been reserved, or will i be talking in the open air or in a
marquee (possible disturbances)?
What kind of people will i be talking to? How much will they know about ‘my’
subject?
What will my audience be interested in?
is my language clear, straightforward, and transparent?
Will i be maintaining eye contact with the entire audience as i speak, and does
my body language indicate receptiveness and attention to my listeners?
Would an overhead or PowerPoint presentation on a ’standard subject’ help to illus-
trate my concern? (not to be recommended for political speeches but quite suitable
for target-group events where subjects are defined clearly.)
What counter-arguments might i encounter?
What information material (candidate prospectuses, brochures) should i bring
along?
am i dressed for the occasion?
in discussions at canvassing stands or at other public places where you might be
appearing, you should always use a microphone so that your audience can hear you.
However, do not let yourself be provoked or shouted down.
remain calm and collected. show that you have staying power and are ready to
discuss things. You should listen and be tolerant, but you should never relinquish your
microphone. this also holds true for public meetings where citizens ask questions. in
these cases, an assistant should keep another microphone in readiness. during the
conversation, helpers should distribute information material. approvals for informa-
tion stands will be issued by your municipality.
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facility checklist
facility Available To be procured
localities and rooms
number of seats
room rent
equipment
Sites for canvassing and street discussions
Promotion material
stand
office facilities
Computer
e-mail accoess
Colour printer
Copier
Fax
Activity facilities
loudspeaker systems
discussion stand
Video recorder
lCd Beamer
screen
overhead projector
Poster hoards
Microphones
vehicles
Schedule checklist
dates fixed To be determined
legal deadlines
election call
Candidate registration
Candidate list nominations
Presentation of voter registers
Events
trade shows
sports meetings
Fun fairs etc.
Cultural events
Club festivals
Political events
Meetings
association meetings
regional conferences
Celebrity appearances
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dates fixed To be determined
organisation
Photo appointments
Citizen’s consultation hours
Campaign team setup
team member vacations
organisation group meetinges
Welcoming the volunteers
Campaign helper training
Volunteer deployment scheduling
events in the concluding phase of the campaign
Promotion tools
ordering posters
receiving posters
Pasting posters
Putting up posters
ordering promotion material
receiving promotion material
Candidate material, information brochures
Approaching party members and target groups
Circulars
e-mails
telephone campaigns
Home visits
Mailing campaigns
finances
‘Count your cash’
donor/sponsor activities
Activites and events
events
Canvassing
other activities
The media
Press conferences
Background interviews
advertisement scheduling
regular press releases
Events of political opponents
vacation periods
other matters
83
how to handle donations and contributions to political parties
as party and campaign funding is a sensitive issue, parties need to ensure scrupu-
lously that money, donors, and donations are treated at all levels in a manner that
conforms to applicable laws.
at this point, you should insert the text of the party funding act in its most recent
version.
For the benefit of your party members, you should also include any other legal regu-
lations on the treatment of donations.
The electoral code
regulations concerning election timetables, the appointment of candidates, etc. are
laid down in the electoral code. it should be made known to all county branches, so:
insert the electoral code in its most recent version at this point.
6.5 follow-uP
6.5.1 Safeguarding majorities
After the election is before the election! once the campaign is over, a course
must be set for the future, for the coming legislative period.
6.5.2 Thank your helpers and voters
after an election, make sure that you
thank your voters for their trust (e.g. in press statements or through poster
stickers);
thank your campaign helpers (e.g. through a party);
thank your donors (e.g. in a personal letter from the top candidate or county
chairman or by inviting them to a meeting or reception);
invite new members recruited during the campaign to a meeting as quickly as
possible;
remove all posters and hoards; and
sift through all important documents (e.g. addresses) for use in your future work.
6.5.3 Election review and analysis
once the election is over, your campaign as well as the election result should be
analysed exhaustively and critically. especially the returns in each region need to be
scrutinised.
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questions that need to be answered include:
Where did your party do particularly well? are there any reasons for this?
Where did your party not do so well? are there any reasons for this?
How do the results of your candidate compare with those of your party?
You should also turn a critical eye on your own campaign so that the next may be
even better. in that context, the following aspects are particularly important:
did your strategy fit?
Was your funding ok?
Was your use of communication media successful?
How did your activities go?
the results of this analysis should be summarised in an election report, covering the
following aspects:
initial situation
strategy planning
Campaign planning
Funding
Communication media used
activities
analysis of the election outcome
6.6 IdEA mArKET: 100 IdEAS unTIl ElEcTIon dAy
in the following, you will find 100 ideas for events and activities for the time before
the election. some will certainly appear familiar, others are new.
it would be best if you were to recheck, together with those responsible, the timeta-
ble of your local or county branch to see whether it is possible to mount another two
or three activities to mobilise your voters.
You need to remember, however, that there are certain activities that are out of place
immediately before an election, such as visiting public institutions like kindergartens
or universities.
on the other hand, most of the activities suggested below are not specifically cam-
paign-related, so that they may be organised by your party at any time.
6.6.1 children and adolescents, school and leisure time
Visit kindergartens, creches, playgrounds
Visit a primary school that offers afternoon supervision for pupils
Visit a school to obtain information about its equipment with modern computers
‘Fun and games’ – children’s day on the opening of the outdoor pool season
‘it’s a knockout’ (children and adults)
Painting contest for children
school magazine contest – article on a topical subject
disco evening with an anti-drugs campaign
Concerts with rising bands
Candidate search for trainee jobs
driving and safety training (mopeds/motorcycles) in association with a driving
school
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discussion between police officers and adolescents
adventure visit to the fire brigade
Visit to a university or technical college in the vicinity
(summer) festival with rising artists who design the programme
6.6.2 for people of all ages: leisure, sports, and more
this is how our european twin towns celebrate – party with culinary delights
Youth band contest
theme night at the local cinema
Football event – large screen
Party football tournament
Football tournaments (town/city-quarter championships)
tV sports programmes on large screens in pubs or market places with comments
and tips by politicians
Bow tournament (tennis)
Candidates who are good at the sport sustain the tournament together with mem-
bers and friends from local clubs (also good for many other sports)
Bicycle orienteering contest (county)
sports events with celebrities
Biker meet and tour
Motorcycle or vespa drivers’ meeting with candidates at a popular destination (beer
garden, wine cellar) to discuss and/or celebrate, with musical entertainment where
applicable (also good for cyclists)
inline skating tour
organised card-game tournaments
Chess tournaments, possibly with large chessmen in the open air
organise family afternoons with family games (’sorry’ etc.)
Birdsong excursion
Hiking with ’political celebs’
Visit springs under the heading of ’clean water’
effective help made easy (e.g. red Cross first-aid course)
Visit a fitness studio under the motto ’Fit for campaigning’ or ’health policy’
6.6.3 local activities
it is particularly important to publicise your policies, candidates, and objectives
among the citizens in your own environment. talking face to face is the best way of
convincing citizens of a candidate’s competence, besides offering an opportunity to
meet them privately.
this can be effected through neighbourhood meetings arranged as
an invitation to breakfast
brunch, or
afternoon tea.
other suggestions:
Walk around the town
Visit to a farm
take a day’s holiday in your county/constituency
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a tour of the municipality in which the mayor and the local councillors cycle from
quarter to quarter, discussing municipal concerns with citizens (particularly good
for rural municipalities comprising several villages)
Candidate visits to specific target groups, such as young families, at home
specifically addressing citizens who have recently moved in
Visiting the editorial offices of local papers/radio stations
developing a timetable for local leisure events
Celebrating club anniversaries
local branches paying mutual visits to exchange experiences and views
round-table for talking on local issues in a relaxed atmosphere
Citizen’s questionnaire campaign
‘Candidates going to the polls’, information days on which candidates discuss spe-
cific subjects at different places
Political talks over a morning pint
information stands in residential and other areas
information visits to economic organisations etc.
Visits to local businesses
events held at businesses
roof-raising ceremony: ‘We are creating jobs’
Visits to municipal facilities
Zoning, village refurbishment (tour around the community, visits to model develop-
ments in the neighbourhood)
Visits to sites for which there are concrete plans, accompanied by experts
Visits to charities
Visits to county-operated facilities
6.6.4 EnvIronmEnTAl ProTEcTIon
sewage treatment plant/recycling depot
‘environmental engineering’ visits to local plants
Hiking along lakes and creeks
Walking through forests
organising creek cleanings
6.6.5 having fun together
street or family parties
rafting
Children’s parties
tea with senior citizens
Wine festivals (with the local wine queen)
organising jazz brunches
Barbecue parties for families (with sports, games, and entertainment for children)
Cooking contests
Visits to cinemas/cafés for theme-related events
‘Meeting of generations’
8�
6.6.6 Special activities
see whether the current year offers occasions for special activities like, for example,
the anniversary of an eminent political event or the foundation of your party.
Birthday reception with party members, friends, and local celebrities
‘Birthday party’ with tea, cakes, and many guests; share out ‘our town’s longest
ever cake’
talk show: members of long standing telling tales from history
discussion between the generations: our party past and present. Young and older
members discuss what they like about your party and what they expect of the
future.
6.6.� Security policy
Visit a barracks for a discussion with soldiers
Public discussion forum ’talking with the army’
Panel discussion on topical issues
Visit to a police station
discuss the dangers associated with drug-taking with young people, drug
ombudsmen/experts, and the police
6.6.8 Art, culture, research, and the internet for people of all ages
the idea is for representatives of the arts and architecture to beautify your munici-
pality together with children and adolescents. a brainstorming that originates from
thinking profoundly about your home town and may be financed by local compa-
nies.
‘day of the bookworm’: highlighting local authors, artists, athletes, etc.
in cooperation with publicists, bookshops, illustrators, and performing artists
information visit to a museum
Visit to a research facility in the vicinity
Visit to an innovative company with a high research budget
internet forum with candidates
Panel discussion on ’art and culture in xy town’
auctioning pictures etc. made by politicians to the benefit of a charity
organising a jumble sale
6.6.9 other matters
‘Citizens’ phone-in’ with candidates answering on certain days
gathering reasons why it is nice to live in xy, with the ’best’ reason receiving a prize
Candidates put up posters with media appeal
Meeting with journalists over a morning pint
‘What we want’ – young people editing a paper together with the candidate
announcing events/election days/candidate introductions from a loudspeaker van
receptions for various target groups
88
6.� conTAcTS, AddrESSES And lInKS
6.�.1 contacts at party headquarters
at this point, you should name all important contacts at your party headquarters who
are responsible for answering questions about campaign organisation or content
together with their telephone numbers and e-mail addresses. this enables your
members to obtain any information they may need at any time.
examples:
Planning section:
Mr John doe
Phone: 555 5555
e-mail: [email protected]
Marketing and communication section
Candidate service section
Social policy section
6.�.2 Party organisation addresses
county branches
at this point, you should list the addresses and contacts of all county branches.
other regional organisations
if your party has any more organisations at the state, regional, or provincial level,
please list addresses and contacts here.
6.�.3 The internet as a source of information
the internet has turned into an inexhaustible source of information. as it can be used
successfully to support the organisation of a campaign, facilitating rapid access to
important internet pages is very helpful.
in the following, we will be listing a number of subjects on which you might create
websites to provide information to the members of your party:
Around the election
address of your campaign manager: http://www.xxx.xx
legal regulations for members of parliament: http://www.xxx.xx
elections, electoral laws and systems: http://www.xxx.xx
election guide: http://www.xxx.xx
Polling institutes
institute for …: http://www.
XXX: http://www.
Please communicate your own ideas, experiences with successful events, and any feedback about these proposals to party head-quarters: [email protected]
89
constitutional organs
Prime minister: http://www.
President: http://www.
Parliament: http://www.
government: http://www.
Constitutional court: http://www.
Statistical offices
Federal statistical office: http://www.
‘Politics’/political education
online portals: http://www.politics
http://www.politicians
Federal Centre for Political education: http://www.
Political foundations (selection)
konrad-adenauer-stiftung e.V.: http://www.kas.de
links to information sources on economic policy
institute for...: http://www.
institute for...: http://www.
media
daily paper: http://www.
radio: http://www.
television: http://www.
6.�.4 bibliography
in addition to the internet, of course, there are a number of interesting books and
journals you might recommend on the following subjects:
Media relations
rhetoric
Campaign strategies
