Message Development

Republican Victory Institute

Message Development

Assumptions
Assumptions.
You are not normal.
Most voters pay little attention to
politics.
Most voters dont remember what
they hear.

Republican Victory Institute

Message Development

The Product
Our product is the candidate or
issue.
What is the image you want to portray?
The candidate/issue is not a laundry list.
Be who you are, not what youre not.
Create an honest document about your
candidate/issue
List strengths and weaknesses

Republican Victory Institute

Message Development

The Audience
Who do you need in order to win?
Identify the voters that will swing the
election.
What issues to they care about?
Develop a message for them and talk to
them and only them
This might sound narrow but remember, only
a small sliver of voters decide each election
STAY FOCUSED

Republican Victory Institute

Message Development

M=EC3
Message equals:
Emotion: How do you want the audience
to feel?
Contrast: How are you different?
Connection: Why should your audience
care?
Credibility: Why should your audience
Tell the truth the first time and you dont
believe
you?
have
to remember
what you said.
Tip ONeil
Former Speaker of the House

Republican Victory Institute

Message Development

Communication
How your candidate or
spokesperson looks when delivering
the message is critical
Happy Warrior
Belief is more powerful than anger
Have to give voters a reason to vote for
you not just against your opponent

Understand what your message is and

where its being delivered
Republican Victory Institute

Message Development

Decisions Are
Emotional, not Logical:
The Neuroscience behind
Decision Making
by JIM CAMP
http://bigthink.com/experts-corner/decisions-are-emotional-not-logical-the-neuroscience-behind-dec
ision-making

Republican Victory Institute

Message Development

Intuition

Reasoning

Recognizing
Visuals
Behaviors

Explaining

Judging

Conscious, not
automatic.

Persuading

Choosing
Automatic

Republican Victory Institute

Message Development

Caring

Fairness

Liberty

Sensitivity to signs
of need or suffering.
We despise those
who are cruel toward
us or others.
Sensitivity to signs
of exploitation.
Allows us to live in
groups without
being taken
advantage of.
Sensitivity to signs
of an oppressor in
the group.
Drives us to unite
to restrain or expel
a bully.

Authority

Sanctity

Loyalty

Sensitivity to signs of
people not respecting
rank or status.
Allows us to form and
operate in social
hierarchies.
Rooted in our
behavioral immune
system.
Some places, symbols,
and conduct are
elevated while others
are avoided.
Sensitivity to signs
someone is betraying
the group.
Allows us to form broad
groups, organizations.

Strongly
endorse

Authority
Sanctity
Loyalty

Caring
Fairness

iv
e
V
Co ery
ns
er
va
t

rv
at
i
C
ve ons
e

g
in
Sw

er
al
Li
b

Ve
ry

lib

er
al

Strongly
reject

Source: The Righteous Mind, by

Nonverbal
Communication
Intuition: An automatic response to
seeing things we recognize.
Judging and choosing based on what
we know. Or believe.

Republican Victory Institute

Message Development

Leesburg Grid
US-on-US

US-on-THEM

THEM-on-US

THEM-on-THEM

Republican Victory Institute

Message Development

Leesburg Grid
Romney /
Romney

Romney /
Obama

Obama /
Romney

Obama /
Obama

Republican Victory Institute

Message Development

Leesburg Grid
Romney / Romney
Leadership.
Trusted.
Tested.
Experienced.

Romney / Obama
Failure.
Disappointment.

Obama / Romney
Elitist.
Out of touch.
Uncaring.
Racist.

Obama / Obama
Forward.
Compassionate.
Hope.
Change.

Republican Victory Institute

Message Development

Leesburg Grid
Android /
Android

Android /
iPhone

iPhone /
Android

iPhone / iPhone

Republican Victory Institute

Message Development

Transitional Phrases
The moms and dads I talk with tell me
Were getting away from the important
issue here
Lets not forget the big issue here
The most important issue we need to talk
about is
Thats an interesting point
Equally important
Let me tell you what this means to you
Republican Victory Institute

Message Development

Framing Issues
Notice the difference in word
choice:
Death tax
Estate tax

Anti-union
Pro-choice
Anti-war
Voucher

OR

Republican Victory Institute

Right to work
Pro-abortion
Pro-military
Equal opportunity
scholarship

Message Development

Final Thoughts
Thematic messages must be aimed
at the center of your target
electorate.
Targeted messages are aimed at
specific groups within the target
electorate. They are anchored in
theme but go beyond it.

Republican Victory Institute

Message Development

Questions

Republican Victory Institute

Message Development