Every campaign requires a clear, repeated central theme to succeed. This strategic theme is fundamental to everything you do. You are choosing the terms of debate, and those terms should highlight both your side’s strength and your opposition’s weakness.
A very common mistake is to misunderstand the people you are trying to persuade. Too often, our side offers arguments that appeal to us, the well-informed members of the progressive base. We’re persuaded by a heavy dose of facts and statistics. But persuadable people are, by definition, not like us. They haven’t paid attention to the situation as we have. They don’t care about the question as much as we do. And they’re a lot more concerned about how the matter affects them personally than how it promotes the common good.
Therefore, the most important rule for constructing a theme for persuadable audiences is to show how it fits with their preexisting values and benefits their families, friends, and communities. Put another way, don’t frame the matter as if you’re asking for a favor; show that your campaign or cause is on their side.
Once you have a theme, it should undergird all communications. Shorten it into a slogan for signs and logos. Make it the basis of a stump speech. Prove the theme with a wide variety of messages, both positive and negative. Every message—oral, written, or electronic—should convey that theme.
A theme has three key components:
Here’s a policy example. Let us say you’re advocating for a state Prescription Drug Affordability Board that sets price limits on essential but expensive medicines.
The Core Message might be: “Medicine that’s out of reach doesn’t heal anyone.”
Supporting Points: “Drugs cost too much, and prices continue to rise.” “The system isn’t fair; people need their prescriptions to survive.” “There’s a system already adopted in five states which works to drive down drug prices.”
Call to Action: “Call your state legislators and urge them to support HB 123.”
Here’s a campaign example for a candidate for city council who is running on affordability and other “kitchen table” issues.
The Core Message might be: “Our city should work for the people, not just the powerful.”
Supporting Points: “Too many residents are barely holding on because prices have risen faster than paychecks.” “There are solutions to make the city more affordable, but instead, our government has regularly paid to favor the wealthy and powerful rather than average citizens.” “We need to change the way things are done; we need the city on our side.”
Call to Action: “Make sure you get out and vote on [date].”
A well-crafted theme ensures that every communication stays focused on your core message, with supporting points and a clear call to action. It gives your campaign consistency, informing your messages across different platforms, including speeches, social media, interviews, and legislative testimony.
We’re not asking you to repeat the same words. Use a range of messages, facts, and language, but consistently reinforce the same core theme. You may get tired of saying it, but repetition is what makes a message stick. It’s how your ideas break through to the people you are trying to persuade. Practice your core messages until they feel so natural that you no longer need notes.