Introduction

The following course aims to introduce the audience to the key components for organizing an election campaign. You who decide to run in the general or local elections in the Republic of Kosovo can learn from this course what are the necessary steps and resources needed for a successful election campaign. The course content was intentionally designed in simple language and with examples, to make your learning and implementation easier. The course is divided into three main chapters: preparatory or preliminary work; defining the campaign strategy; and implementing the campaign.

Preparatory work

This chapter emphasizes the importance of genuine preparatory work for a successful election campaign. This explains the work to be done, including: research/study, gathering information and measuring public opinion and focus groups, image building, campaign team building and fundraising efforts. In particular, it focuses on the need to analyse the voter trend, including the demographic and geographical components, ensuring data on the current situation with the support of citizens, deriving citizens' preferences in terms of policies and interventions, and their expectations. Further, the main elements for image building are explained through the increase of physical presence with field visits, TV appearances, intensification of posts on social media and the like. Then, the chapter focuses on the necessary resources, both human resources, i.e. team building, and financial resources.

Defining the campaign strategy

This chapter elaborates on the steps for developing a campaign strategy based on data from preparatory work and defining key tactics. The necessity of the strategy being relied on the objective and methodological findings from the preparatory work phase is explained. The chapter will focus on the main elements of the development of the election strategy and platform such as: setting the purpose of the campaign, developing the slogan, selecting some policies on which the campaign focuses, profiling and targeting voters in terms of demographics and geography. It further defines the strategy of communication with citizens and media. Finally, it explains the importance of drafting a campaign implementation plan based on strategic orientation.

Implementing the campaign

This chapter covers some of the final components of the campaign and raises audience awareness of campaign dynamics as well as the importance of keeping the focus on strategy and action plan. The importance of communication at this stage, including non-verbal communication, is underlined. It further explains how to prepare for all public appearances, especially for televised debates and the on-going focus on priority policies and the delivery of messages on each policy. It further presents the forms of creating informal alliances with associations, businesses and interest groups having mutual goals. Another important element in modern times is the use of electronic social platforms to reach voters and keep in touch, especially considering the citizens being overloaded by the numerous candidates during the election campaign. The chapter also emphasizes the need to repeat measurements of public opinion to understand support and revise the strategy depending on the results of the measurements of public opinion. Finally, the importance of efficient management of resources which must be carefully and economically allocated is underlined.