CRAFT | Political + ElectionsFramework » CRAFT | Political + Elections http://craftdc.com Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:17:19 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 100% http://craftdc.com/2011/05/serve-2/ http://craftdc.com/2011/05/serve-2/#comments Thu, 26 May 2011 16:12:26 +0000 CRAFT | Media / Digital http://dc.craftmediadigital.com/?p=1122 http://craftdc.com/2011/05/serve-2/feed/ 0 CRAFTing 2010 http://craftdc.com/2011/05/crafting-2010-2/ http://craftdc.com/2011/05/crafting-2010-2/#comments Thu, 19 May 2011 21:03:13 +0000 CRAFT http://dc.craftmediadigital.com/2011/01/crafting-2010-2/ 2010 was a monumental year for American politics.

It was also a remarkable year for our new firm, CRAFT | Media / Digital.

After our January launch, we quickly got to work delivering high quality communications consulting and services in the media, digital and print channels.

Our clients faced unique challenges, and we set our sights high. Whether it was working for candidates for Governor, U.S. Senate, Congress and State Legislature, or gaining support for a key issue, we executed communications efforts to achieve victory.

Here is a glimpse at what those victories looked like for CRAFT and our clients:

  • CRAFT produced work directly on behalf of our clients or on behalf of issue advocacy clients in the following federal races where Republicans won:
    Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02), Kevin Yoder (KS-03), Dan Benishek (MI-01), Kelly Ayotte (NH-SEN), Roy Blunt (MO-SEN), Ron Johnson (WI-SEN), Pat Toomey (PA-SEN), Sen. John McCain (AZ-SEN), Frank Guinta (NH-01), Charlie Bass (NH-02), Mike Kelly (PA-03), Pat Meehan (PA-07), Tom Marino (PA-10), Jaime Herrera (WA-03), Paul Gosar (AZ-01), Bobby Schilling (IL-17), Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-08), Steve Stivers (OH-15), Scott Rigell (VA-02), Martha Roby (AL-02), Raul Labrador (ID-01), Alan Nunnalee (MS-01), Andy Harris (MD-01), Vicky Hartzler (MO-04), Nan Hayworth (NY-19) and Richard Hanna (NY-24).
  • CRAFT produced work for the three major party committees, including:
    The Republican National Committee (RNC), The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).
  • CRAFT produced work for leading national PACs, issue organizations and trade associations including:
    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Heritage Action for America, American Solutions, Keep America Safe, Keep Israel Safe, American Crossroads, American Action Network, the College Republican National Committee, The Manhattan Institute, Emergency Committee for Israel, Kevin McCarthy’s McPAC, Aaron Schock’s Generation Y-PAC and Tim Pawlenty’s FreedomFirst PAC.

Below is a snapshot of the work CRAFT produced on behalf of our clients:

  • CRAFT produced over 200 broadcast TV, radio ads and web videos, with television ads airing in over 50 broadcast markets in 22 states.
  • CRAFT produced close to 2 million pieces of direct mail in over 17 states.
  • CRAFT designed, built, and deployed over 20 websites and placed over $1 million in online advertising.  CRAFT also launched a premiere online activist platform for a national issue organization, that yielded over 50,000 contacts and netted over a half million dollars in contributions, in just under four months.
  • CRAFT’s television or web media have been featured on major news networks includingFOX News Channel, CNN and MSNBC and on national programs including Face the Nation, This Week With George Stephanopoulos, Morning Joe, Rush Limbaugh,Glenn Beck and Hugh Hewitt.
  • CRAFT’s online intelligence team placed stories for our clients on top political blogs and online news sites including: Hot Air, Michelle Malkin, RedState, Hugh Hewitt, Instapundit, Townhall, National Journal’s Hotline On Call, The Daily Caller, Huffington Post, Gateway Pundit, American Spectator’s blog, National Review Online, The Weekly Standard, Talking Points Memo and leading state-focused blogs across the country.
  • CRAFT’s online intelligence team generated news for our clients in mainstream media outlets including: The New York Times, The Atlantic, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Bee, Orange County Register, POLITICO, The Hill, Real Clear Politics, CQ-Roll Call, Cook Political Report and Stuart Rothenberg Political Report.
]]> http://craftdc.com/2011/05/crafting-2010-2/feed/ 0 Size Doesn’t Matter. It’s How You Use It. http://craftdc.com/2011/02/size-doesn%e2%80%99t-matter-it%e2%80%99s-how-you-use-it-2/ http://craftdc.com/2011/02/size-doesn%e2%80%99t-matter-it%e2%80%99s-how-you-use-it-2/#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:28:41 +0000 CRAFT http://dc.craftmediadigital.com/2011/02/size-doesn%e2%80%99t-matter-it%e2%80%99s-how-you-use-it-2/ Most people who run online campaigns are used to questions about list size.  “How big is our list? How can we get more emails? How can we reach 100k, 200k, a million or more?”  Rarely do the higher ups ask “How many of our people actually read our messages?  How many actually took action on an ask?”

Size is often all that matters.

While most corporate marketing programs focus on the ROI of the list – specifically looking at cost of acquisition, open/response/conversion rates, and lifetime value of the contact – most political and advocacy organizations focus solely on how many names are in the database.  It’s flawed thinking.

Here are a couple of ways to get more from your list without obsessively focusing on the number.

Voter Registration

One of the first questions political campaigns should ask is “How many of our email addresses are matched to a registered voter?”  Campaigns may be surprised to learn that nearly half of their email supporters can’t actually vote because they are not registered.

List appends are typically reserved for adding marginal, opt-out addresses to your file. These addresses are often unresponsive and only serve to clutter your file.  They end up being the Zombies that bring down a healthy list.

Campaigns should instead consider a physical address match to their file.  Many vendors will take your email addresses and provide you with a matched name and physical address.  You can then compare your email file to registration roles.

The benefits are clear.  Identifying your unregistered voters allows you to get them registered.  That’s obvious.  What may be less obvious though is the value of that particular voter.  They came to you.  This isn’t a random grocery store/county fair acquired voter.  These people are interested in your campaign, more likely to turn out if asked by you, and, most importantly, much easier to move to activist status with some work.

They should be guaranteed votes for your campaign – which most untargeted voter registration efforts can’t claim. More importantly, they can easily become your super-activists.

Make Your Emails Personal

Most campaigns think of email in two capacities – as a source of funds, or as recipients of information.  Campaign emails either ask for money, or distribute press releases and random messages.  Rarely do they put more thought into an ongoing relationship.

Think about the types of material the visitor is likely to receive – news or volunteer opportunities.  Those are pretty much it.  Yet many email programs don’t recognize even that basic distinction.

Many campaigns have a simple “Sign up for News” option on their page.  They typically ask for minimal information like first name, email, and maybe a zip code.

The trouble with this approach is it acts as a bait and switch for your supporter.  That person will likely get volunteer information, finance asks, and the news they actually asked for.

Instead, consider asking them to sign up, but include checkboxes for the type of material they want – news and volunteer activities.

News Subscribers

If they choose news, greet them with a message from the Communications Director specifically explaining the types of material they will receive. Make the subject clear so they know the message is in reply to their subscription.

If possible, you should also ask them to visit a page to manage their profile and choose specific news types – including press releases – they might like to receive.

When you send news, don’t just blast out the release.  Make it a personal message from the Comms person with a short note that frames the release.  Don’t assume they are constantly paying attention, and give them context, not just content.

Anyone who has affirmatively chosen not to get Volunteer requests, shouldn’t get any.  They can, however, get finance asks.  These are best done in concert with new ads that are announced, or specific products.  The brief introduction should frame the ad, and suggest a donation to help keep the ad on the air.

Volunteers (and Donors)

If your subscriber chose to Volunteer, make the first message a personal greeting/introduction from the person who will manage your volunteer efforts.  Clearly articulate the kinds of messages they will receive and the types of activities with which they can help

Your supporters will greatly appreciate the recognition of their value, and the personal nature of the message.  They will likely even reply, so be sure someone can answer incoming messages.  Don’t relegate these to an “info@” box.  Theses are the people who will work to get you elected. Don’t take them for granted.

Every message should build on the relationship between your campaign and your supporter.  That is true with volunteers more than anyone else.  You should leave the supporter feeling involved, not lectured, or worse, ignored.

Each ask should be framed in the same way the news content is.  Don’t consider a new ad rollout to just be news.  Send a note to your volunteers sharing the ad (framing it, as above) and asking them to pass it around.

Volunteers should be asked for money, but not without context.  We need your cash to beat our opposition isn’t as compelling as a specific, tangible result.  This is why thermometer fundraising is so effective.  Don’t just ask for money.  These are volunteers, after all.  Instead, give them a project or goal, and specific measurable ways to help.

The Facebook Effect

Many campaigns have applied the same “size matters” approach to Facebook, constantly pushing for more “Likes.”  At the same time, most people recognize that while there may be limited correlation between Likes and election outcomes, there is most certainly no causation.

That is true of email to. I am aware of absolutely no study demonstrating causation (or even correlation) between list size and election results.  It is simply too easy to append data or buy a list.  If everyone on your list was dumped in without permission, and nobody reads your messages, the list is ineffective.  Its impact on the election will be none.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

People who have effective Facebook campaigns invest time in growing and interacting with those supporters.  The same can be true of email.  Spending time to talk with your list (not at them), and developing that relationship into more than a one-way communication channel will yield greater results.

Keeping the email content relevant, making the messages personal, and creating a relationship with your readers doesn’t have to be a daunting task.  It does, however, require more thought.

The upside, however, is the results should more than pay off with regard to supporter engagement, dollars raised, votes cast and their likelihood to carry your message.

]]> http://craftdc.com/2011/02/size-doesn%e2%80%99t-matter-it%e2%80%99s-how-you-use-it-2/feed/ 0 How Super Is Our Debt? http://craftdc.com/2011/02/how-super-is-our-debt/ http://craftdc.com/2011/02/how-super-is-our-debt/#comments Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:03:01 +0000 CRAFT | Media / Digital http://dc.craftmediadigital.com/?p=745 One problem political organizations often face is a wealth of complex information and the challenge of presenting that information in an easily digestible format. Our goal, as a firm, is to help clients identify new and compelling ways to make a point.

To illustrate this point, we wanted to find a complex topic, with big numbers, and find a way to make that content timely and relatable. The biggest number we could think of is our national debt, which now stands a bit over $14 trillion. That’s a number whose sheer size makes it hard for people to grasp. To make it timely, we look at events taking place in the fabric of society, and boil down the big number in ways people can grasp.

Since this week marks the big game, we thought it would be fun to look at our debt in football terms. To demonstrate how to make a point in a visual way, and in terms people can easily understand, we ask you, “How Super Is Our Debt?”

How Super Is Our Debt?

Click the image to see a full size JPG, or view the PDF using the Scribd reader below.

For more on CRAFT’s infographics, please click here to see our Political Insidersaurus landing page.

]]> http://craftdc.com/2011/02/how-super-is-our-debt/feed/ 0 Importance of Constituent Communications http://craftdc.com/2011/01/importance-of-constituent-communications-2/ http://craftdc.com/2011/01/importance-of-constituent-communications-2/#comments Tue, 11 Jan 2011 21:44:00 +0000 CRAFT | Media / Digital http://dc.craftmediadigital.com/?p=1042 http://craftdc.com/2011/01/importance-of-constituent-communications-2/feed/ 0 YouTube: Show and Tell http://craftdc.com/2011/01/youtube-show-and-tell/ http://craftdc.com/2011/01/youtube-show-and-tell/#comments Tue, 11 Jan 2011 21:40:55 +0000 CRAFT | Media / Digital http://dc.craftmediadigital.com/?p=1040 http://craftdc.com/2011/01/youtube-show-and-tell/feed/ 0 Facebook: Tips and Tricks http://craftdc.com/2011/01/facebook-tips-and-tricks-2/ http://craftdc.com/2011/01/facebook-tips-and-tricks-2/#comments Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:48:29 +0000 CRAFT | Media / Digital http://dc.craftmediadigital.com/?p=1044 http://craftdc.com/2011/01/facebook-tips-and-tricks-2/feed/ 0 Twitter: Creating Good Content http://craftdc.com/2011/01/twitter-creating-good-content-2/ http://craftdc.com/2011/01/twitter-creating-good-content-2/#comments Fri, 07 Jan 2011 21:50:02 +0000 CRAFT | Media / Digital http://dc.craftmediadigital.com/?p=1046 http://craftdc.com/2011/01/twitter-creating-good-content-2/feed/ 0 Follow the GOP Freshmen Class http://craftdc.com/2011/01/follow-the-gop-freshmen-class/ http://craftdc.com/2011/01/follow-the-gop-freshmen-class/#comments Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:17:58 +0000 CRAFT http://dc.craftmediadigital.com/?p=311

In January, CRAFT wrote about the nuts and bolts of Twitter. Now, we have compiled a Twitter list of the Republican Freshmen class. For those who use Twitter, this list can serve as a constant source of news and information from our nation’s newest Republican lawmakers.

Follow the Twitter list here: @CRAFTdc/follow-the-freshmen.

Senate

(Listed by state.)

House

(Listed by state.)

Updated as of February 2, 2011. Please email any additions to rdodsworth@craftdc.com.

]]> http://craftdc.com/2011/01/follow-the-gop-freshmen-class/feed/ 0 Twitter: Nuts and Bolts http://craftdc.com/2011/01/twitter-nuts-and-bolts/ http://craftdc.com/2011/01/twitter-nuts-and-bolts/#comments Tue, 04 Jan 2011 22:03:14 +0000 CRAFT http://dc.craftmediadigital.com/2011/01/twitter-nuts-and-bolts-2/

Just as Twitter was a useful tool when asking for votes, it can be useful for serving constituents and informing the public. I’ll give you some tips I learned from my years working in the U.S. Senate.

In this post I’ll talk about Twitter nuts and bolts. In my next post, I’ll go into what your boss and your office should tweet about.

Start by creating a new, official account

Yes, I know you have thousands of followers on the campaign account. Yes, I know dual accounts can divide your audience, but until House and Senate rules are clarified it’s a good practice to have separate accounts. Just do it. Now, I have seen offices mix official with campaign tweets, and surprisingly haven’t read any stories about whether this is a violation of Congressional rules. To be safe, keep separate accounts and don’t be the first office to be the subject of such a story.

Sign up for an account

And find a good Twitter name ASAP. Even if you don’t know how you’ll use the account you will at least prevent crafty opponents from snapping up your boss’ name.

Get your staff on Twitter

Activists, reporters, and your constituents are talking on Twitter. Join the party. To get good at Twitter you have to use Twitter. Having a few staffers on Twitter also helps when you want to get added exposure for one of your boss’ tweets.

For staffers already on Twitter, advise them to keep a clear distinction between official business tweets, political tweets, and personal tweets. Staffers can maintain their own personality, but they shouldn’t tweet about fundraisers, campaign events, or helping other campaigns on official office time or using office computers or BlackBerrys. Also, staff should assume any tweet could end up on the front page of The Huffington Post. A disclaimer saying “all opinions are my own” won’t stop a reporter from writing a story. No one wants to lose their job because of an unwise tweet.

Don’t have a staffer pretend to tweet as your boss

Ideally your boss should tweet, but there will be those who simply won’t do it. Don’t create the illusion; there’s enough cynicism in politics. You can still be interesting and get followers without the boss tweeting.

If you plan to have a mix of boss and staff tweets, prevent confusion by labeling the tweets as being from staff. For example, Sen. Russ Feingold’s campaign staff used “STAFF” as a label.

Use analytics

Use a URL shortening service like bit.ly to tracks click-throughs. That way you can see what content is most interesting to your boss’ followers. This gives you an instant focus group.

Cross-market

Push videos on Twitter. Mention Twitter in videos, on Facebook, and in emails to constituents. Have staffers put their boss’ Twitter handle in their email signature. Your audience is across multiple channels, so you need a multi-channel approach to reach them.

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