October 24, 2014
Bill Tieleman Campaigning to win against the odds.
Insurgent campaigns that follow the rules tend to lose; insurgent campaigns that
do not have about a 30% chance of winning.
What is your key audience? Communicating with everyone else is a waste. What
messages will reach your key audience and let them know what is in it for them to
do it your way.
What decision do you want them to make?
How can you set that up as a choice- if they do what you want they will benefit how?
And if they don’t do what you want, they will lose what? Give your opponent a
choice. If you do this you will get this. If you don’t we may not win but we will
damage you.
Connecting boldly and simply to the zeitgeist is essential
What is your David vs Goliath story. The story is hardwired into our culture. Use
it. The underdog who win against all odds. BUT If you approach the campaign as a
loser then the odds go down considerably.
What is their David and Goliath story? How will they attempt to portray
themselves as the underdog?
How can you be unscripted (and therefore not accounted for) opposition.
If you are an underdog the issue has already been defined. Can you upset the
discussion and open the door to redefining the message?
Tactics are not strategy.
How can you make the tent bigger to include more people who will have
influence with the decision makers you are trying to reach and what are you willing
to not say or do or to say or do to get and keep them in the tent.
You will have to do things differently to win. How can you play off your strengths
and into their weaknesses to divide them and unite us?
Fosbury flop – he wasn’t good enough so he took his disadvantage and made
something of it. OK how can we do something differently? His strategy was to do
something differently. His tactic was to jump upside down.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fosbury_Flop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SlVLyNixqU
Demonizing your opponent is dangerous. A Conservative will stop you getting
welfare but if you have a flat tire and need help at the side of the road he or she will
be there first.
What is your strategy and what is your message?
What do we say about ourselves
What do we say about them
What do they say about themselves
What do they say about us
If you can win it privately its always better. Sometimes its best to assume they don’t
know or understand.