Campaign Project Management

Question 0

Voters and target groups

Answer 0

Who is the main voter group for each party?
Which age, which needs, wants, attitude?
How many?
Loyal to one party or open to change?

Question 1

Planning of political campaigning

Answer 1

Definition of the party’s core idea (the Party)
Definition of voter potential (who)
Definition of themes (what)
Communication (how)

Opinion research

Question 2

Target group

Demographic

Answer 2

Age, income, education, job, family status
Attitude towards political parties
Facts and figures
Segment sizes

Question 3

Target group

Psychological

Answer 3

Lifestyle, attitude, expectations, beliefs, opinions, motivations, Barriers
Understanding insights, reasons

Methods: psychological segmentation eg sinus Mileus
Primary research: focus groups
10-1 people, 90 minutes, professionally moderated
Topics: attitude towards political parties, strength and weakness own party vs competition, decision process

Question 4

Target group research methods

Answer 4

Demographic- research institutes
TNS- infra test , method: omnibus research
Quantifying segments with specific party preferences

Psychologic research
Sinus milieus, lifestyle clusters
Focus groups , primary research

Question 5

Socio- demographic structure of voters

Answer 5

Socio-economic segmentation
Blue collar workers
Middle class
Self-employed and employed
Farmers and land owners 

Cultural and religious interests
Catholic or Protestants
Non religious

Ethnic or regional minorities
Immigrants, born in Germany

Age and gender
Male, female, new Generation, 50+

Question 6

Focus groups

Answer 6

Recruiting participants with different attitudes towards
Conservative, more innovative
Loyal or undecided

Question 7

Diversified target group

Answer 7

2.5 mill people
Change after the reunification: 1.6 mill people moving out, q.6 mill people moving in

West: creatives, healthy middle segment, Turkish immigrants (politicians, real estate, here, environmental technology)

East/ previous center of DDR, aged population, traditional tendency (Gysi)

Question 8

Image candidates - focus groups

Answer 8

Respect 
Power 
Know how 
Not my idea of a mayor for Berlin 
-
Good fit with Berlin "Berliner schnauze"
He does something for the people 
Easy going, everywhere accepted 

Not a big rational theme
Voter’s preference is emotional

Question 9

Differentiation by themes

Answer 9

Everything must change
30km limit, new airport as regional
Optional coalition with CDU

Poor but sexy has evolved
Rich in ideas,rich in creativity, rich in culture
And always sexy
Achievements of the last ten years

Question 10

Conclusion Berlin mayor election- change between forecast and results

Answer 10

Target group: specifics about the Berlin voter target group and attitude

Themes : themes must resonate with voter groups, candidate fit

Candidate: emotional preferences, candidate image stronger than rational themes

Importance of understanding vote attitude and preferences

Question 11

Psychologic segmentation: sinus Mileus

Answer 11

Target group segmentation
Sinus Milieus group people with similar attitudes and life style
This refers to values and the attitude towards work, family, leisure time, consumption.
The objective is to market products and brands towards specific target groups

Question 12

CDU was long-termed aspiration am for the middle of society

Answer 12

Integrating civil values
Moderate conservative values
Modernization in the 70ies
Polarizing strategy: freedom or socialism
Broad voter groups across different segmentation

A loyal voter group until 1998 achieving highest share of voters

Question 13

New middle class

Answer 13

New attitude and life style
Evolution of social demands
1998 SPD succeeded with innovation and fairness
CDU lost the connection to the new middle segment

The middle of society
More diversified economically, politically and culturally
Still moderate conservative values
But also modern, international, more tolerant and flexible

New middle class milieu: performance oriented and adaptive mainstream 
Security and harmony as key values (established civil middle class)

Question 14

Innovation and fairness (SPD )

Answer 14

A balance of self-responsibility and social security
A balance of modernization and fairness
Soft themes like education, families, day care

Question 15

The defense strategy of CDU

Answer 15

Middle a attitude based on principles and conviction
Action with a sense of proportion “Augenmass”
The citizen in the focus, not a group
Economy as key theme

Question 16

Summary voter groups

Answer 16

The civil middle class as a key battle field for all big parties 
Differences between parties diminishing by focus on the middle 

challenge to have a distinctive differentiating image by still being relevant to the middle segment

Challenge to find differentiating, motivating themes

Question 17

Campaign messages need to derive from the brand core of the party

Answer 17

Differentiation by factual themes 
Focus on social and economic subjects 
Detail-oriented and complex
Usually more exchangeable 
Clarity and differentiation needed 

Differentiation by new/ additional themes
Cultural, society, foreign policy issues
Stronger differentiation
Need to be top-of mind, otherwise not motivating on it’s own

Personalization, staging, political symbolic
Orchestration of packaging instead of content
Depends strongly on people and authenticity
Risk of becoming populist or demagogue

Question 18

Planning of political campaigns

Answer 18

Definition of the party’s core idea

The party: a distinctive message:

Definition of voter potential

Who: a clearly defined voter group: all leading parties focus on the middle segment of society
Therefore themes get closer less differentiation

What? Less differentiation by rational themes: leading parties with less differentiation in rational themes
Election is more emotionally defined
Increasing importance of candidates performance

How?
Communication analysis to follow