Over the past two campaign cycles, Campaigns & Elections has chronicled a drastic shift in political campaigning. Campaigns have felt the transformative effect of technology, augmenting tried and tested methodologies with the kind of empiricism and measurability that only digital and data intelligence can provide.
They have gotten smarter, become more nimble, constantly iterating their approach, and focusing only on those activities that most effectively move the electoral needle. And just as campaigns have proven themselves ready to shift their approach to achieve the best results, so too must C&E.
For C&E the transformative effect of technology is equally clear. And, so, we are about to go to press with the final printed issue of the magazine. After 33 years and more than 300 issues, C&E is moving its content exclusively online to better serve our readers and our industry.
Focusing on our digital product means readers can expect an expansion of our content offerings online and more opportunities to interact with the consulting community. It also enables us to develop online training offerings to compliment C&E’s current stable of industry-leading events.
Alongside our digital-first approach to content, we are focused on supporting the continued growth of our campaign training conferences, providing aspiring candidates and politicos with the know-how they need, and the campaign industry with the business development opportunities they relish. This emphasis on events will see our portfolio of conferences expand.
On that front, we are proud to announce the launch of a brand new event confirmed for this November at the National Press Club in Washington, DC: The Campaign & Marketing Summit. We have partnered with Potomac Tech Wire and Capitol Communicator for the inaugural CAM Summit, a one-day conference bringing together professionals from the political campaign, corporate communications, consumer marketing, and PR industries.
When I came on board at C&E in the summer of 2011 my mission was clear: once again make C&E an unparalleled resource for the campaign industry and for those who aspire to political office. I am proud to say we have done that, both through our editorial content and conferences. But C&E, just like the campaign industry we serve, must be forever facing forward, looking toward the horizon and ensuring that each step forward is stronger than the one that went before.
Shane D’Aprile is the publisher of Campaigns & Elections magazine. Email him at sdaprile@campaignsandelections.com