• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Shop
  • Jobs Board
Campaigns & Elections logo

Campaigns & Elections

  • Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Articles
    • Industry News
    • CampaignTech
    • Creative
  • Videos
  • Buyer’s Guide
  • Reports
  • Expert Database
  • Events
  • Awards
    • Reed Awards
    • CampaignTech Awards
    • Rising Stars
  • Consultant Directory
  • Become a Member
  • Shop
  • Job Board
  • Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Despite Victories Down Ballot, Republicans Can’t Continue To Ignore Campaign Technology

Over the last four years, Democrats have invested more in campaign technology than Republicans. With new platforms like Mobilize, Reach, and OutVote, Democrats were able to translate grassroots enthusiasm into opted-in relationships with campaigns and state parties. In this article, Republican consultant Eric Wilson makes the case that his party needs to significantly increase their investment in digital.

It’s a fact that over the last four years, Democrats have invested more in campaign technology than Republicans. While that didn’t result in the electoral victories they’d hoped for down-ballot, it’s an investment that will continue to provide compounding returns for the left. 

With new platforms like Mobilize, Reach, and OutVote, Democrats were able to translate grassroots enthusiasm into opted-in relationships with campaigns and state parties. They’ll be able to build on that network as long as Democrats continue to nurture it. 

Republicans, on the other hand, have failed to diversify sufficiently beyond paid messaging like TV, online advertising, and mail. Unlike organizing and building audiences, the effects of advertising evaporate after 7-10 days. A notable bright spot on the right in this regard is the RNC’s Lead Right program which combines sophisticated data from Data Trust, best-in-class voter-contact apps, and boots on the ground. 

Chris Sacca, an early investor in Twitter, Uber, and Instagram, who has also invested in campaign tech for the left, explained: “Our bet is that, over time, startups inventing new models and building scalable technology will have higher ROI than throwing money at Super PACs and consultants.” 

Subscribe for Industry News Plus the Latest in Campaign Strategy & Tactics

Hidden
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

We must be clear about technology’s role in campaigns. The outcomes of elections, especially as you move farther down the ballot, often have nothing to do with the candidates or the campaigns they run. Everything a winning campaign did wasn’t right and everything a losing campaign did wasn’t wrong. 

Campaign technology, then, isn’t about altering the political environment, issues relevant to voters, or quality of candidate, but rather maximizing available opportunities. Technology can help a campaign better allocate resources to the right voters or increase turnout by a few points so that when conditions are favorable, marginal campaigns emerge victorious. 

Like the cynic who smells flowers and wonders where the funeral is, we must consider what might have happened during the 2020 elections if the right had invested as heavily in campaign tech as the left. Would we be witnessing the retirement of Nancy Pelosi or could the Senate majority be secure without a pair of runoffs? 

There are four key areas where Republicans must focus their innovation. First and foremost, we need better forecasting. Campaigns rely on traditional polling to provide guidance about strategy, but modern campaign tactics like digital advertising, P2P texting, and relational organizing demand greater precision. Regardless of where you land in the debate, it’s clear that polling has been taxed beyond its capabilities and new methods and measures are needed to properly allocate resources. 

Down ballot, digital marketing continues to be a challenge. Building the conversion funnels and creating content necessary to be effective presents a high hurdle for campaigns with smaller budgets. This is one area where technology can be helpful in adapting marketing automation and reduce the friction to create content. 

While Republicans made significant strides in prioritizing online fundraising with the launch of WinRed, many candidates and consultants still refuse to invest the resources needed to build email and text messaging lists for fundraising. If Facebook and Google continue to clamp down on political advertising, the challenge will only become greater. New solutions are needed to shorten the time between when an investment in online fundraising is made and when it returns a profit. 

Finally, campaign management is an area ripe for innovation. In the commercial space, new technologies are improving the way companies are run. There are similar opportunities for innovation when it comes to politics with the unique challenges and nature of the industry. 

Republicans cannot rest on our laurels after a surprisingly successful cycle in down-ballot races. The Democrats and their allies will continue to build the tools their candidates and grassroots need. We must do the same.  

Eric Wilson is the Managing Partner of Startup Caucus, an investment fund and accelerator for Republican campaign technology. 

Share:
FacebookTweetLinkedIn
Filed Under:
Digital Advertising, Digital Organizing, Direct Mail, Television

Primary Sidebar

By
Eric Wilson
11/20/2020 03:21 PM EST
FacebookTweetLinkedIn

C&E Creative Summit 2023 Countdown:

Get Tickets

Most Read

  • Digital Organizing

    How Digital Can Help Thread the Needle in Virginia

  • Sponsored

    Combine Digital Advertising With Direct Mail, The SMART Way

  • Sponsored

    Political Comms Is The Premium Peer-To-Peer Texting Platform

Subscribe for Industry News Plus the Latest in Campaign Strategy & Tactics

Hidden
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Related Articles

See More Direct Mail Articles
Sponsored

Direct Mail Insights for 2022

Commercial printing operation
Direct Mail

Hoarding Paper Could Become the New Normal As Supply Worries Persist

Row of outdoor mailboxes
Sponsored

Reaching Diverse Voters with Authenticity

Become a member and get access to exclusive content.

Join Today

Footer

Upcoming Events

  • September 21

    Campaigns & Elections Creative Summit

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

For the latest in campaign strategy & tactics plus industry news and analysis, subscribe for free today.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow us

Follow Campaign and Elections for more daily content.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 Political World Communications, LLC

Advertisement

Subscribe for Industry News Plus the Latest in Campaign Strategy & Tactics

Hidden
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.