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Design a Campaign

Task 6: Campaign RFP

(~60 Minutes)

Lesson Framing & Purpose:

In Task 6, interns will be combined into design teams. First, assign each team (or let them choose) a public policy issue. Then, assign a special interest group client to each team and let students begin to explore what they will need to do to build a successful campaign and meet their client’s goals.

  • Interns should come away with an understanding of what kind of political group they will be working for and what that group wants to accomplish through this campaign.
  • Interns will also see that the goals and objectives will be different for different teams and that those differences are driven by each team’s assigned client.
Resources:
Teacher only resources Student resources
Reflective Questions:
  • What type of special interest group are you working for? What are your group’s broader goals?
  • What type of messaging is best for your client group? Who might you target with this message?
  • Why might different groups’ goals look so different?
Learning Activities:

New Campaign Intro Video (~5 Minutes)

  • Play the “zoom meeting” with account executive Alex Stone (PS Video 2) congratulating interns on completing their training.
  • Provide intern teams with the Task 6 Email and the request for proposal for the special interest group (SIG [Issue] RFPs) aligned with the issue(s) you have selected.
  • Have interns review the Campaign Design Process.
  • This phase of the simulation is much more independent so they will need to reference the Campaign Design Process to make sure they are staying on track.

New Campaign Request for Proposal (~20 Minutes)

  • Have interns individually read their assigned Special Interest Group client RFP (SIG [Issue] RFPs) and then work as a team to figure out:
    1. The goal of their group’s advertising campaign (both large general goal and specific targets outlined in the request for proposal)
    2. The position their group takes on their issue
    3. The media buy budget they will have for their campaign.

The media buy budget they will have for their campaign.

  • Have groups fill out the Campaign Request for Proposal section of their Campaign Planning Document as they work. Groups should be prepared to present this information in a 60- second Campaign Planning exercise (described below).
  • Remind students that contracts will only be awarded if they design a campaign that meets or exceeds the client’s goals.

Campaign Planning (~15 Minutes)

  • In this first task, teachers will model the Campaign Planning protocol. While students are completing task, the teacher will move group-to-group and engage with group reports using the protocol below.
  • Post or project the presentation and question protocol (below) for interns to see. When groups are ready to present, approach each group individually to run the protocol with them.
  • Remind interns that this work leads up to a client pitch and that each Campaign Planning exercise is a chance to practice and improve their pitch presentation.

Campaign Planning Protocol

  • Each group will present for 60-seconds explaining
    1. who their client is and what type of organization they represent
    2. what position the client advocates
    3. their specific campaign goals (including persuasion vs mobilization, target number, budget)
    4. a prediction, using evidence, about what audiences and messages might help achieve the campaign goals
  • The audience (teacher) will
    1. ask any clarifying questions (“Can you say more about…?”) and reiterate the main points until the presenting team is satisfied their main points were clearly conveyed
    2. identify any parts of the presentation lacking a rationale or evidence
    3. offer counterarguments to question elements of the presentation or offer alternatives (“Have you considered…?”)
  • Explain that clarifying questions and reiterating main points are crucial parts of active listening and help the presenting group know if they are being clear or not.
  • Identifying lack of evidence and offering counterarguments is important to help groups strengthen their materials by brainstorming alternatives and considering different perspectives.

Debrief Discussion (~20 minutes)

  • Ask interns to have a debrief discussion within their design teams and share out to the larger group if there is time. Discussion should focus on the reflective questions above as well as any talking points that come up during the activities.
Implementation Tips
  • Push interns to analyze RFPs as texts to be deciphered. “What does the requestion for proposal reveal about your client and the type of campaign they want?” “What do you know after reading the RFP, and what do you still need to find out for your campaign?”
  • Remind interns that their job is to design the very best campaign for the client, regardless of whether or not they agree with the client’s position on the issue. “As a consultant you will sometimes disagree with a client, but your job is to work for your client within the ethical standards of your firm. This means that you need to present the best arguments for your client’s interests, even if you do not necessarily agree with them.”
  • Remind students that the Review Exercises will help them prepare and practice their final client pitches.
  • Consider your grouping strategy based on the number of students, how students may complement and support each other, and any strong political conflicts with the position of special interest groups.
  • Groups should not move forward until they understand the goals and objectives of their client, and the goals of the campaign they are designing.
iconExtension Activity: Special Interest Groups

This is a task designed to also help you teach about and discuss different types of political groups involved in policy campaigning. You may need to ask interns about what types of groups are involved in political campaigns. Some are explicitly political (PACs, SuperPACS) and some include lobbying or political action as part of their mission (e.g., trade associations). Different types of interest groups operate using different tax designations (e.g., 501©(4)).