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DPDC Candidate Support:
Building Your Brand and Your Message

Messaging in a political campaign is:

  1. Critical - one of the most important aspects of your campaign; need to spend time on it.  Messaging can make or break a campaign.

  2. Connecting- You need to connect with voters, tell them who you are and why they should vote for you.

Effective Messaging

Effective Messaging needs to be

  1. Authentic – genuine to who you are as a person and as a candidate.

  2. Credible – backed by facts and figures and/or your lived experience, shared with your audience. Research and have a few facts about your issues or priorities.

  3. Concise – clear language, free of jargon or acronyms, not complex terms; easily digestible; practice to ensure your message is concise.

  4. Relevant – know your voters; issues the voters currently care about. Highlight issues that affect the community and show how you will address them.

  5. Compelling/Connecting – draws your audience in; your message should speak to the voter; they feel themselves in the message; your personal story and then make that connection to the bigger audience.

  6. Contrasting – Offer the voter a choice; tell them what your campaign stands for and what it’s NOT; important to define who you are and what sets you apart; why should the voter vote for you?

  7. Repeated – consistency is key; becomes part of your Brand: ideally voters need to see or hear your message 7-10 times.

Pitches - the Long and the Short of It

  •  Speaking

    •    “The Elevator Pitch” – 30 seconds CONCISE, typically at the door

    • Events – 3-5 minutes, include your background and experience

  • Written Messaging

    • Walk Card – also concise; bullet points with a concise sentence/sentences.

    • Website – expanded, detailed.

    • Questionnaires – answers to questions from the press or organization should also be consistent with your messaging; extension of your platform.

Key Components of your Message

  1. Who & What – who you are and what office you’re running for.

  2. Why – why are you running?

  3. Your Life/Work Experience – work experience, community involvement, skills, and why they matter the position you’re running for.

  4. Priorities – 2-5 Priorities that will be your focus when you’re in office.

  5. Ask for Their Vote - Remind them of the date of the election & ask for their vote!

Speaking Tips

a. Never Mention Your Opponent – tell the voters who YOU are, not who your opponent is; never repeat your opponent’s negative messaging – it only reinforces it.

 

b. Start & End on a Positive Note – be positive and inspirational when possible.

c. Practice, Practice, Practice - perfect your message; gather feedback; practice your short and long pitches MANY times. Memorization will make it come more naturally and you will also seem at ease.

d. Competency & Warmth – Charisma = Competence + Warmth

e. Energy – Match the energy of the room or LIFT it.

f.  Adjust Your Message as Needed - Stay true to your brand but be ready to adjust if your message isn’t resonating or if the political landscape changes.

g. Tailor Your Message- Tailor messaging for different groups; maintain your overall consistency but lean into specific issues for a voter or a group.

h. Variation on a Theme – once you are VERY comfortable with your short and long pitches, you can vary them slightly but…. you MUST remain consistent with your primary message.

i. Repetition and Consistency - Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

Llámanos:

1-331-806-3180

Envíenos un correo electrónico:

info@dupagedemocrats.com

Encuéntranos:

885 E Geneva Road

Carol Stream, Illinois

60188

Visítanos:

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Viernes 12:00 a 15:00 horas

Otros horarios con cita previa; llamar para información

*Habrá horas de atención de oficina adicionales disponibles durante la temporada electoral.

2024 por el Comité Central del Partido Demócrata del Condado de DuPage

Autorizado y pagado por el Partido Demócrata del Condado de DuPage. Una copia de nuestro informe presentado ante la Junta Estatal de Elecciones está (o estará) disponible en el sitio web oficial de la Junta ( www.elections.il.gov ) o se puede comprar en la Junta Estatal de Elecciones, Springfield, Illinois.

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