Campaigns for elected office are about creating impactful narratives, connecting with key audiences, adapting effectively, and winning — all in a very short period and under immense pressure. Successful campaigns require teams that are diligent, fast, and relentless, those who can see the bigger picture, create momentum, and produce results.
This mindset and approach is one the private sector must now adopt, as Wall Street and Washington are more entwined than ever before.
CEOs and business leaders across the country are facing a new, unpredictable, and often volatile communications landscape, which has left many leaders scrambling. According to Axios, only 17% of CEOs feel their public relations and communications functions are “very equipped” to tackle this mercurial ecosystem. By leveraging campaign tactics and adopting a campaign mindset, business leaders are positioned to stay one step ahead and more effectively navigate choppy and capricious waters.
To navigate this new landscape, business leaders can take cues from the successful strategies employed in political campaigns. By applying these time-tested tactics, companies can craft clear, persuasive narratives, engage stakeholders more effectively, and respond quickly to shifting circumstances. Here are some key strategies from the campaign trail that can help guide leaders in today’s challenging environment:
- Build an Overarching Narrative
Narrative is the nucleus of a campaign. An impactful story that resonates is the harbinger of success, and of course the opposite is also true. Human beings are connected to narratives and stories on an almost primal level. This is because narrative relies on both data and emotions; as such, people remember information when it is woven into narratives up to 22 times more than facts alone. We can all think of campaigns whose stories resonated with us and those that didn’t. Want to run a successful campaign? Find yourself a storyteller.
- Create Stakeholder Strategies
Success on the campaign trail is all about identifying key stakeholder groups, understanding their needs and motivations, and creating effective policy and messaging in response. These campaign substories are just as important in delivering impact as the broader narrative. Additionally, there are often overlaps between stakeholder interest, resulting in the opportunity to identify coalitions and drive collective action. The ability to do this with nuance and adapt to new information along the campaign trail is critical to maintaining stakeholder support and achieving long-term success.
- Engage the Grassroots
To take stakeholder strategy a level deeper, campaigns need to engage at a grassroots level to build sustainable momentum toward a win. It’s no longer enough to just know your audience, you need others to help tell your story and strengthen your coalition. Narratives are more effective if they come from multiple parties, especially parties within your key stakeholder groups. Identifying and building relationships with effective campaign surrogates, particularly at the grassroots level, takes time, effort, and strategy, but when done correctly, few tactics are more effective.
- Adapt and Iterate in Response to Current Events
One of the greatest challenges to the private sector right now is unpredictability, something for which campaigns are built. The very nature of a political campaign is inconstant, and while significant effort is made to anticipate all hurdles, the ability to successfully tackle them when they inevitably arise is crucial. Having people aboard your team who are not only comfortable with change but honed for it is critical in this current climate.
- Winning on a Deadline
Everything in a campaign is done with one goal in mind: winning. Whether a ballot initiative or a seat for public office, you must champion public opinion. The same principle applies in business. Whether it be you versus your competitor or your story versus the counternarrative, winning comes down to a similar principle: do you have the support of more stakeholders than the alternative? At the end of the day, campaigns are about driving change instead of being subject to it.
In today’s unpredictable communications environment, adopting a campaign mindset can be a key differentiator in breaking through the noise. The ability to craft compelling narratives, engage key stakeholders, mobilize grassroots support, and adapt in real time gives business leaders a competitive edge in shaping public perception and driving change. By embracing the urgency, strategy, and agility of political campaigns, companies can not only navigate uncertainty but also seize opportunities to lead with impact.