CST 360 - Public Relations

Dr. Swanson

Technology and campaigns - strategy/ application/ discussion

Why do only voters matter? How can you tell who votes? How do we use technology to persuade people that (a) voting is appropriate behavior, and (b) they should vote for our candidate/ ballot issue.

2. It matters little who is preferred by nonvoters or who is preferred a month before the election.

What do popularity polls tell us about elections? Ask Tom Dewey.

3. The key to being preferred is repetitive, persuasive communication with likely voters.

What's the benefit of repetition? How do we use technology and media to repeat our message? How does campaign theme play into this? (Remember the onion?- see below)

4. Campaign strategists target precincts and counties by emphasizing persuadable likely voters.

Precincts are often ranked according to a mathematical formula, such as the one shown here:

The formula prefers areas with many registered voters who turn out (number x turnout). Attention goes to precincts which vote often for a particular party, since regular voters need little persuading and are less susceptible to counter-persuasion. How do we use technology to enhance our knowledge of precincts and voters? How do we use technology to communicate with likely voters and persuade them of the importance of voting, and voting the way we want them to?

5. Campaign strategists try to enhance registration and turnout in supportive precincts.

Why would you not try to enhance registration and turnout in non-supportive precincts? Should technology somehow be applied in regard to this issue- and what are the ethical concerns?

6. Candidates should be depicted accurately, pleasantly, and in harmony with the interpretive systems of likely voters.

In '96, why did Bill Clinton not portray Bob Dole as 'grumpy old man'?

In '96, why did Bob Dole not hit too hard & direct on the Clinton character issue?

7. The campaign's message must be appropriate to the candidate, the rules of the campaign (written and unwritten) and the target voters.

When did Michael Dukakis violate the 'visual' rules of the campaign? (Remember the Army tank ride?) How does technology help us craft the written and unwritten rules of the campaign? Is technology itself becoming a 'rule' of the campaign, and in what ways?

8. A candidate needs to take on the role of either incumbent or challenger.

Incumbent:

Builds on symbolism; legitimacy; competence; things good & getting better.

Challenger:

Builds on change; incumbent value issues; things are bad now, must improve.

Again, how does technology support this role of the candidate? How does it help him/ her create perceptions among voters of the challenger's role?

9. The campaign message grows like an onion around the theme.

In 1996, what was Dole's theme? What was Clinton's theme? What was Perot's theme? Technology plays a huge role here, too.

10. Campaigns emphasize verbal and visual symbols that reinforce the theme; avoiding those which contradict it.

Think back on the last election. What symbols did Bush and Gore use - and avoid? How did they change over the course of the campaign? How did technology play a role in helping or hurting?

11. Regardless of the 'level' of the campaign, it should dominate the dominant medium.

-Television -Yard signs -Handshakes -Rotary Club meetings, etc. Technology determines the dominant medium.

12. Campaigns do not: Bring up new issues; Teach voters new priorities; Tell voters their values are wrong.

-Last year's violations???

13. Messages should build through the campaign and have greatest impact at the time voters are making up their minds.

When do voters decide? How can technology help us communicate to the voters at the exact time when they are making up their minds? Is "too much" technology a hindrance here?

14. Double-check everything.

Remember, campaigns and campaign advertising are committee efforts. Who's in control-??!

The rules above are excerpted from Craig Allen Smith's book "Political Communication" (1990) Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Pub.

Douglas J. Swanson, Ed.D APR