Campaign Trend Podcast

Today, we’re talking with Jon Seaton, Managing Partner of Camelback Strategy Group, a full-service political consulting and public affairs firm. Jon was Associate Director of Political Affairs for President George W. Bush and served as Regional Campaign Manager for Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign. Jon and I dig into the changing nature of the campaign ground game, how data and technology have transformed door knocking, and the rise of paid canvassing. TakeawaysTechnology has revolutionized the campaign ground game, allowing for more effective measurement and targeting of door knocking operations.Building a modern, effective ground game involves identifying persuadable voters, creating scripts that resonate with them, and maintaining ongoing contact to reinforce messaging.Canvassing remains a highly effective and personal way to communicate with voters, providing an opportunity for face-to-face conversations and influencing voter decisions.Paid canvassing has become increasingly popular as it allows campaigns to recruit well-trained canvassers and ensure consistent standards and productivity.The risks of paid canvassing include potential negative interactions captured on doorbell cameras and the need for careful training and management to maintain a positive campaign image.The future of campaign ground games involves further advancements in targeting, personalized messaging, and coordination across multiple communication channels.Subscribe on YouTube: Visit the Campaign Trend Website: Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our Newsletter Become a Campaign Trend Insider

Exploring how experimentation can make TV ads more effective in political campaigns, using data-driven analysis and randomized control trials to optimize ad messages. Discussing the importance of content optimization over targeting for lasting impact, and the influence of AI on political advertising with ethical concerns in the digital era.

Our guest today is Kurt Luidhardt, co-founder of the Prosper Group, one of the leading digital strategy firms for Republicans. Kurt and his team have worked for candidates across the country, including Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, and many more. In today's episode, we're talking about the future of digital strategy, online fundraising, and what recent shifts in tactics mean for a new path forward for creating content to engage supporters.Subscribe on YouTube: Visit the Campaign Trend Website: Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our Newsletter Become a Campaign Trend Insider

Our guest is Patrick Wohl, author of the new book Down Ballot: How A Local Campaign Became a national referendum on abortion. Patrick is a Washington, DC-based public affairs professional and also has extensive experience on the campaign trail up and down the ballot. In our conversation, we discuss the small race that became a big deal, the long-term impact of the outcome, and we even dig into the book publishing industry.Subscribe on YouTube: Visit the Campaign Trend Website: Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our Newsletter Become a Campaign Trend Insider

Researchers David Kanevsky from 3D Strategic Research and Peter Barnes from the State Government Leadership Foundation discuss key findings from the Virginia Post Election Survey. They highlight the impact of the abortion debate, Republican early voting initiatives, and the role of social media and digital streaming platforms in the election outcomes.

Scott Brennen, Head of online expression policy at the University of North Carolina’s Center on Technology Policy, discusses the current state of AI in political ads, potential harms and benefits, challenges of regulating technology, using policy experiments to understand AI's impact, and recommendations for protecting campaigns from AI-related harms.

Sean Topham, co-founder of Topham Guerin, discusses the surprising electoral success in New Zealand and the strategic importance of TikTok in their campaign. They explore the role of TikTok, its unique features for political messaging, and the need to adapt to a video-centric strategy.

On this episode, we’re taking a look back at the stories that shaped the world of digital politics in 2023 and are setting the trends as we head into 2024. These are the stories I drew from Learn Test Optimize, my weekly newsletter on all things digital politics. Subscribe at LearnTestOptimize.com if you aren’t already. I’m joined today by Mitchell Porwoll, Digital Strategist at Invictus Strategies, a new fundraising firm. He was previously head of marketing at WinRed.Subscribe on YouTube: Visit the Campaign Trend Website: Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our Newsletter Become a Campaign Trend Insider

Our guest is Bob Maranto, he’s the 21st Century Chair in Leadership in the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas. He’s a founding member of the Society for Open Inquiry in the Behavioral Sciences. In our conversation today we discuss the field of political science and the effect of polarization in academia on political science.Subscribe on YouTube: Visit the Campaign Trend Website: Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our Newsletter Become a Campaign Trend Insider

Our guest today is Robert Moran. He’s a futurist, a management consultant, and a pollster. He began his career in political consulting and polling. He recently wrote a fascinating article at Campaigns & Elections about a thought experiment where an AI runs for office. In our conversation, we dive deeper into his vision of an AI politician, what it would mean for our politics, and more near-term impacts of AI in campaigns.Subscribe on YouTube: Visit the Campaign Trend Website: Follow us on X Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our Newsletter Become a Campaign Trend Insider