1. Trey Hawkins VP Political Affairs Credit Union National Assoc. (CUNA)
Telling Your Story: Communicating Your Message Through Earned & Paid Media
Trey Hawkins
VP Political Affairs
Credit Union National Assoc. (CUNA)

2. Developing a Message Campaigns are about choices
Can your message persuade voters to choose you over your opponent?

3. Why are you running?
What about you distinguishes you from your opponent in a way that leads voters to pick you over your opponent?
Distill those differences into a clear and concise thought and you have your campaign’s message

4. “To Thine Own Self Be True”
Acknowledge the truth about your strengths and weaknesses as a candidate, and be ruthless.
Your opponent certainly will.

5. Consider everything somebody could say about you (and be honest):
Your background, both professional and personal
Your stance on issues
Any vote or position you’ve taken publicly
Your standing in the community in general
Your voter history
Have you paid your taxes, is your business
license up to date, have you ever been sued?

6. Know your enemy, too. His or her voting history Business dealings
Personal finances
Donors
What kind of campaign he/she has run in the past
What groups and individuals will be helping his/her campaign

7. “But I want to run a positive campaign on the issues, not a negative campaign.”

8. Remember, campaigns are about choices: Choices among or between candidates. By defining the differences between you and your opponent, you are helping voters to choose.

9. The Message Box

10. What sets you apart?
Strike-out similarities, both positive and negative.
Consider what’s left - what distinguishes you from your opponent(s)?

11. What’s left? The essential differences between you and your opponent.
From these attributes, you can spell out why you’re the better choice for voters to make.
And that is how you arrive at your campaign message.

12. The campaign theme A simple phrase, sentence or word summing up the
central point of why voters choose you.
Your campaign theme should:
Be easy to remember
Interesting
Consistent with what you care about
Work well with the issues you will be talking about

13. Examples of Campaign Themes
Make America great again (Trump 2016)
Change we can believe in (Obama 2008)
Straight talk (McCain 2000)
Building a bridge to the 21st Century (Clinton 1996)
It’s morning again in America (Reagan 1984)

14. Delivering your message and campaign theme
Repetition, repetition, repetition
Voters should here the same thing:
At their doors, on the phone and online
In debates and other public forums
In direct mail and broadcast advertising
In the press
On social media
When you’re sick of saying it, you’ve only
begun to succeed in delivering your message

15. Delivering Your Message
Earned Media
Paid Media
Be cost effective and target your voters
Polling and research can help

16. What About the Press?

17. “Free Media” vs. “Earned Media”
Good press coverage –in print, online, on TV or radio—is never free
It costs your campaign lots of time, energy and effort to get it

18. Different ways to communicate with the Media:
Public Meetings/Events, speeches
Press Conferences
Press Releases
In-person interviews
Telephone interviews
Editorial board sessions
Op-Ed pieces
Letters to the Editors
Call-in Shows (radio)
Photos + captions

19. Spice up your media coverage with variety
It’ll take trying a variety of methods to deliver your message to the press.
If one isn’t working, try something else.

20. Rules to Live by
Limit press release/media hits to one topic, one page or a statement that is 5 minutes of less
Give reporters simple local examples to illustrate the issue or problem—make it relevant
Don’t overwhelm the reporter— give them small, manageable bits of information to chew on
Never lie or mislead the press
If you don’t know the answer to a question, tell them you will be happy to get back to them later.
Don’t offer up statistics or facts you’re not sure of
Nothing is ever “off the record” – only say something you don’t mind seeing in print or on TV

21. How to get coverage Stick to your theme, 2-3 major issues
Amplify and coordinate
Use theme weeks
Use national or state hooks to tie into your local race
Use milestones, holidays, etc – back to school, Labor Day, 4th of July, Domestic Violence Awareness Month

22. Before getting starting
Make sure the press
knows who you are
Take them out to lunch or breakfast
Give them some basic background information
Answer basic questions of why you’re running, what your key issues are
Establish a rapport

23. Use volunteers
Op-ed’s
Letters to the Editors
Call-in shows
Debates

24. Don’t get discouraged
Getting coverage and building credibility with the press takes time and energy, but eventually, the quality and quantity of what you do breaks through
Quality of Coverage matters more than Quantity

25. Press Summary Keep it simple, short
Make it interesting, relevant and timely
Localize the press hit
Do let reports put words in your mouth
Give reporters information in small bites
Always tell the truth and check your facts beforehand
Keep driving the message home

26. Paid Media: Your Message Unfiltered
Door to door, person to person
On the phones
Through electronic media (TV and radio)
With direct mail
Social Media
Digital

27. Indirect Voter Contact
Medium
Impact
Ability to Target
Cost
Resources
Lit Drop
Low
Little
People, Time
Lawn Signs
Some
People, Time, Money
Billboards
High
Money
Signs
Rallies
Digital Advertising
Radio TV
Some/Low

28. Direct Voter Contact Medium Impact Ability to Target Cost Resources
Door to Door
High
Great
Low
People, Time
Candidate
Time, Money
Coffee
Phones
People, Time, Money
Direct Mail
Social Media

29. TV: Key Points Use a political media consultant and buyer
Great for increasing name ID
Expensive
Difficult to target; lot of waste
Exception: Cable/satellite systems

30. Radio: Key Points Easier to target by demographic than TV
Useful in rural areas
Use 60 second spot
Repeat campaign name as much as possible
Can be expensive – is it worth it?

31. Direct Mail: Key Points
Pictures and imagery is key; avoid being too wordy
Stick to variations on your campaign theme
Target, target, target
Use a political mail vendor to get political bulk rate

32. Direct Mail

33. Direct Mail

34. Social Media: Key Points
Share news & announcements
Good for recruiting volunteers/supporters
Requires constant care & feeding
Engage, engage, engage
Keep it fun and lighthearted
But be mindful social is a public medium
Know your medium & audience
Facebook vs. Twitter vs. Instagram, etc.

35. Digital: Key Points Many different media Somewhat targetable
Facebook, Twitter, Pandora, websites
Somewhat targetable
Use brief slogan & imagery
Banner ads & 15 sec. “Ad roll”
Need a call to action / link to website
Social Media vs. Paid Digital

36. Digital Ads

37. Facebook is your Friend

38. Paid Facebook Posts: Boosting

39. Voter Files & Facebook
politics.fb.com
Source: Facebook

40. Paid Facebook Ads

41. Direct Mail vs. Paid Digital
One example:
Direct Mail – 4 color 6x11 postcard
5,100 households (8,925 voters)
$6,542 incl. postage = $.73 / voter contact
Paid Digital – boosted Facebook
9,000 likely voters
$1,500 spend cap = $.17 / voter contact*
*Assumes only one impression per voter

42. Final Thoughts Develop a clear, concise message that:
Offers voters a clear choice between candidates, &
Compels voters to choose you.
Deliver your message to your targeted voters in most efficient manner.
Repeat, repeat, & repeat some more.

43. Questions? Trey Hawkins VP Political Affairs
Credit Union National Association