Introduction to campaign strategy and planning Harmit Kambo Learning and Development Manager smk.org.uk campaigncentral.org.uk Facebook: SMK Campaigners Supported by

About SMK We are a unique charity, focusing on campaigners Annual SMK Campaigner Awards, to support new and emerging campaigners Events and workshops Campaign Central, the online community for campaigners Promoting the rights of campaigners

What do we mean by ‘campaign’? Individuals or organisations mobilising to influence change, or prevent change A series of planned activities designed to create pressure ‘Change’ can mean policy, practice or behaviour A campaign MUST present solutions!

Campaign strategy You are here You want be here Your campaign strategy is how you get there in the straightest line possible

Campaign strategy Issue Aim Objectives Audiences Key messages Tactics Activities and timeline Monitoring and evaluation

The issue What is wrong? What is the solution? Why should anyone listen to you? (credibility/agency) What action needs to be taken?

The elevator pitch

Aim What is the intended impact of your campaign? A simple, compelling and visionary statement about what the future should look like e.g. – Children have equal opportunities to succeed in schools – women are free from violence in the home – A society without child poverty Try to stick to one aim

Objective 1 Objective 2 AIM Objectives “Families affected by a disappearance should have access to support.” “Every family of a missing person to be signposted to Missing People’s free emotional, practical and legal support services by the police” “A network of specially trained counsellors to be developed to support the unique needs of families of missing people”

Objectives Must be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound) End homelessness Reduce single homelessness in London by 60% by December 2015

Audiences Core target: Who can make the change you want? (e.g. Secretary of State for Work & Pensions / Head of Social Services at Local Authority / Chief Executive of BP etc) Influencers: Who has influence on them? (e.g. Voters, shareholders etc) Who are your allies? Who are your opponents? How do they see things? ‘ Keep your friends close but your enemies closer” Niccolo Machiavelli

What will get your target audiences to act? Frank Luntz, US strategist and pollster (‘inheritance tax’ > ‘death tax’; ‘oil drilling’ > ‘energy exploration’) Tailor messages for different audiences Start from where the audience is, not from where you are Use their language, not yours “These taxes are regressive!” Key messages

Tactics OUTSIDER ONLINEOFFLINE INSIDER “If your people aren’t having a ball doing it, there is something very wrong with the tactic.” Saul Alinsky, Rules for Radicals (1971) Government E-petition MP surgery Twitter/ Facebook campaign (not so nicely) Respond to consultation Protest/ demo/march Direct action Strike Blog Work with the media Judicial review Use legislation: (e.g. Human Rights Act, Equalities Act) Develop dialogue with civil servants/officials Freedom of Information Stunts Use celebrity campaign to MP Public meeting Get involved with APPG Give evidence to select committee Tweet your MP, nicely Sponsor a private member’s bill Early Day Motion Boycott Complain Use House of Lords, instead of Commons Petition E-petition (e.g. 38 Degrees, Change.org) Use Sustainable Communities Act Local Government Ombudsman

Activities and timeline Identify key dates and points of influence Decide on best mix of activities Be clear about how planned activities work together for maximum impact

Monitoring and evaluation What’s working? What isn’t? Do aims / objectives / audience / tactics need to change?

Recap Have a strategy (‘fail to plan and you plan to fail’). Write it down Break your campaign down into all of its component parts & it’s simple! It should be a living, evolving document that harnesses your passion, not a strait jacket!