As the 2024 general election nears, Vice President Kamala Harris maintains a narrow national polling lead. Yet, Democrats know well that the Electoral College can transform even a steady polling […]
How to Plan Your Digital Campaign Budget, Logistics and Staffing
It isn’t enough for political campaigns to have the latest digital tools, they need a plan to put them to use, and a budget to support their goals.
Can Freelance Talent Help Build Your Campaign?
Today, there are more than five hundred thousand American elected officials, every one of them unique. But beyond the individual experiences and personalities of the candidates, there are universal similarities […]
The pitfalls of launching your campaign’s website
So your campaign has launched successfully. Now it’s time to build a full website to get your message across, sign up supporters, gather online donations, recruit volunteers and more. How […]
How to know if your political list is working
Here’s a statement not even a candidate can debate: political marketing is tricky. To know for certain what is and what is not working in your political marketing plan you […]
A Down-Ballot Approach to Polling In the Final Stretch
The presidential campaign is causing dismay down ballot. When WikiLeaks unloads another damaging batch of Hillary Clinton’s emails, or a tape of Donald Trump’s “locker room talk” gets released, congressional, […]
2012 Reed Award Finalists
The finalists of the fourth annual Campaigns & Elections’ Reed Awards have been announced. The finalists represent the top talent in the political consulting business in the fields of Direct Mail, Online […]
2016 Reed Award Winners
Congratulations to the 2016 Reed Award Winners! 2016 Reed Awards Winners Gallery Automated Phone Calls Direct Mail Field International Live Phone Calls Newspaper Political Technology Radio Special Categories Television Overall Automated […]
Shop Talk: A view of the valley
This issue’s shoptalkers: Chad Barth, politics and government manager at the online ticketing service Eventbrite; Carolyn Weyforth Glanville, communications and marketing manager at the social news app Flipboard; and Faryl […]
Operative Memberships
If you’re on staff or in the field for a campaign, working at a campaign consulting shop, or working independently as a political consultant, then you’re what we think of […]
It’s Time for Campaigns to Get Serious About Cybersecurity
Voter information and data are often a campaign’s most valuable assets, and a candidacy can rise or fall based on how well the organization protects them. From email hacking to spear […]
Why Comms Pros Should Take More Risks in Political Writing
Camonghne Felix is a nationally recognized poet who moonlights as the head of Blue State’s strategic communications practice based in the firm’s DC office. She got her start in politics […]
The Dawn of Do-It-Yourself Redistricting? Online Software Puts Redistricting Tools in the Hands of the Public
“There is only one way to do reapportionment—feed into the computer all the factors except political registration.” – Then-Governor Ronald Reagan quoted in the Los Angeles Times, Jan. 21, 1972 […]
The Case for Beating Ad Fraud With Programmatic
Ad buying was once relatively linear. Advertisers bought the ad space from the publisher, the ad was placed, and then the results were verified by a neutral third-party such as […]
Here Comes the Judge: Online Success in Local Races
In Los Angeles County, a sprawling geographic area where voters read and speak multiple languages and usually see long lists of state, county and city offices and initiatives on their […]
2013 Rising Stars
These 25 operatives offer a glimpse into the future of the campaign industry.
Bringing a New Perspective to Advocacy and Website Design
Erickson Foster is one of the few creatives in the campaign and advocacy industry with a military background. A self-taught designer, Foster started his career as an active-duty service member […]
Consultants Weigh Client Collections In A Cycle That Could Run Well Beyond Nov. 3
Consultants weigh how to get paid when the cycle runs well beyond election day. Just how much credit should firms extend to clients?
Passing the ad test
In a campaign, tension tends to surface between the creative types and the numbers people, particularly when it comes to television advertising. But the Obama campaign, true to its “no […]
The Rise of Scientifically Optimized Creative
With six weeks to go before the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton’s team had what it thought was a knockout punch against Donald Trump. In one of the most memorable TV […]
Fiorina Flops Out of the Gate
Carly Fiorina is among the most high profile Republican Senate recruits in the country for the next cycle. The former Hewlett-Packard CEO was constantly on television last year as a […]
Tech Bytes: A Great GPS, but a No-Go for Beginners
Politicians who find themselves lost in the wilderness after this month’s election have nothing to fear. A good GPS device will lead them back to civilization, if not a winning […]
Case Study: Building the Digital Infrastructure of the ‘Remain’ Campaign
In August 2015, we were approached by Edmonds Elder, who ran the UK Conservatives’ groundbreaking 2015 digital campaign, about becoming part of what would eventually be known as The In Campaign Ltd. […]
What Campaigns Need to Know About Cybersecurity
Many campaigns still have a naivety about cybersecurity despite a rash of high-profile hacking incidents, experts tell C&E. From the federal government to Sony to Ashley Madison to the UCLA […]