As you have probably noticed on your social media streams, professional and amateur content producers have gone crazy for 360 video. Brands, vacationers and news outlets are all excited to share […]
Why Your Researcher Needs to Dig Up Dirt on You
Opposition researchers are famous for conjuring up “macaca" moments, but one of our greatest contributions to a candidate is self-defense. That might sound counterintuitive given that the image many have of […]
Expanding the Reach of Your Digital Ad
Campaigns should capitalize on major news events even if they’re not political. That advice came from a panel of digital ad experts speaking at C&E’s CampaignTech West conference in Denver […]
Shop Talk: A Rapidly Shifting Media Landscape
This issue's Shoptalkers: Rob Aho, partner at the Republican media frm Brabender Cox; JJ Balaban, partner at the Campaign Group; Shannon Chatlos, digital director at Strategic Partners & Media; Jon […]
Is Twitter ruining young press operatives?
Inside a campaign war room on a recent primary election night a young press operative announced in a town crier’s voice: “This is blowing up on Twitter right now.” I […]
Shop Talk: The Art of the Door Knock
This issue’s shoptalkers: Rob Jesmer, a partner at the Republican firm FP1 Strategies and the former executive director of the NRSC; Emily Post, a political adviser at EMILY’s List and […]
Consultants caught in the ‘Crossfire’?
Back when CNN’s “Crossfire” was at its height, the political consultant-pundit was a cable news staple. With the likes of James Carville and Paul Begala, consultants were turning electoral success […]
The next step in social media monitoring
It shouldn’t be difficult to predict what social media monitoring and data mining will look like for political campaigns in 2014, 2016 and beyond. Just consider where we, as individuals, […]
Lights, Camera…Campaign?
“Some of the funniest situations you can ever imagine pop up during the campaign,” says John Brabender, Republican media consultant and founder of Zolitics.com, a new web-based political entertainment network. […]
Partisanship and Consultants in Off-Years
In a town where the politicking never stops, many consultants are already looking ahead two or four years and concocting the strategies that will shape the next round of elections. […]
How An Oppo Firm Found a Way to Scale
Scaling an opposition research business has long been a challenge for practitioners in the space, but one firm may have found a solution: training. Dan Kramer, president of KPA Strategies, […]
The Ins And Outs of Influencer Outreach
More campaigns are turning to influencers to build trust and persuade voters — particularly in diverse communities. This is happening, in part, because voters are relying less on the media […]
The campaign industry’s looming intellectual property war
A patent war may be on the horizon as the campaign industry becomes increasingly technological. The once sleepy industry dominated by phones, mail, and TV consultants is now experiencing the […]
How to Optimize Your Campaign for Voice Search
Almost all American adults have a voice search tool with them at all waking hours. You probably have one on your person right now. For iPhone users it’s Siri, which […]
Does Your Campaign’s Burn Rate Really Matter?
The recent flameout of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s presidential campaign has touched off a debate among Republican consultants over burn rate and whether field is a better early investment than TV. […]
Lessons Learned From Organizing During COVID
It seems like ancient history now, but there were three weeks in March after Super Tuesday when the Democratic presidential primary was still competitive. That period is illustrative of how […]
As 2020 Campaigns Diversify Staff, Some Strategists Worry Firms Still Aren’t Doing Enough
The Democratic presidential campaigns this cycle are led by a historically diverse group at the senior level. Among the Democratic presidential contenders that have managers in place, the Booker, Harris, […]
Could we run out of airtime?
Imagine this scenario: you’re in charge of an issue campaign opposing Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey’s (D) reelection. You got a bit of a late start, but still managed to raise […]
Social Media and Regime Change in Egypt
At a time when teen pop star Justin Bieber has cruised to worldwide popularity with the help of social networks, it is refreshing to witness this new communications technology serving […]
Kevin Madden
To modernize, Kevin Madden argues, the GOP needs to reinvent itself as the ideas party.Politics: What projects are you working on for Glover Park Group right now?Madden: Well, essentially what […]
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 […]
How much do you know about your online ad views?
Let’s say you buy a 15-second pre-roll ad for a contrast spot that incorporates some of the best oppo the campaign’s research team dug up. It’s geo-targeted on YouTube and […]
Limbaugh: Conservatism is Forever
In what he repeatedly described as his “first address to the nation,” Rush Limbaugh uncovered the North Star to a wandering Republican Party: Rush Limbaugh. “We need conservative leadership,” he […]
Why Groups Should End Internal Turf Wars
It’s time for groups to give collaboration a chance. That starts with managing communications and marketing functions together with their government relations and grassroots activities. If they don’t, they risk […]