Now that the 2008 presidential election is finally over, we can take a deep breath, step back and ask ourselves “what can non-profits learn from both candidates campaigns?”
So here we go… I present to you excerpts from “What the 2008 campaign taught communicators” by Michael Sebastian of ragan.com, News, ideas & conversations for communicators worldwide.
1. Social media is here to stay.
“…Barack Obama and John McCain showed that social media is no passing fad. Both candidates embraced blogs, social networks and Web video.”
2. Tap into social networks.
“The Obama campaign created a social network, MyBarackObama, on its official Web site. Members of that network at times criticized the candidate over his various positions. Livingston called this an ideal model for large corporate organizations.”
3. Don’t sequester your executive.
“…sequestering Palin, or any executive, is a bonehead idea. “[The McCain campaign] basically said, ‘Stop talking to the public,’ and put her in a corner and hid her,â€
4. Portray your female executive as tough in her own way don’t adopt a masculine mystique.
“Between Hillary Clinton and Palin, women made their mark on this election and it will resonate through the corporate world. Women needn’t look and act like men to be successful.”
5. Say no to the Big Formal Speech.
“The things that make political speeches dull won’t be fixed by a good example.†And neither will dull corporate speeches. Unless your executive has preternatural speaking skills, don’t let him or her give a “big formal speech.â€
6. Don’t forget the power of a good story.
“Weaving stories into a speech is a basic tenet of speechwriting. Former Bush speechwriter Matt Scully worked a story into Palin’s speech at the RNC, while Huckabee finished his address with an effective parable.”
7. PowerPoint is mainstream.
“That digital screen is the first step toward satisfying a growing audience expectation to see and hear speeches. So start thinking of your speeches visually. ”
8. Acknowledge the other side is right.
During the first presidential debate, Obama agreed with McCain on several points. In fact, the McCain campaign made an attack ad that showed the many times Obama said, “He is right.â€
A perceived weakness by Republicans, Lehrman instead called it a classic way to persuade undecided voters. It makes you appear moderate,†he said. “McCain was wrong to use that in an ad. He just shot himself in the foot. That ad just makes more undecideds see Obama as a reasonable guy.â€
9. The person who tries something new wins.
Both Obama and McCain paved new roads with their campaigns, Long explained. Obama banked on voter turnout among people in their 20s, a gamble that didn’t pay off in past elections; McCain continually jump started his campaign—picking Palin, suspending his campaign—when Obama widened his lead in the polls.
10. Write for the sound bite.
“This one is obvious, but it grows more important each year.
‘Speechwriters are obviously very savvy about this,’ said Griffin. ‘You might make a 30-minute speech but you have to have a sound bite or two to make the evening news.’â€
11. Beware of high-flown rhetoric.
“The main thing is authenticity.â€
‘If your executive is a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy or gal, then write that way; don’t feed them high rhetoric just because you can.'”
Yoav