How campaigns choose their audience
Launch library · evergreen read
Every campaign has at least two audiences: the people whose behaviour or vote it hopes to influence, and the decision maker it ultimately wants to persuade. Confusing the two often leads to messages that entertain supporters while doing little to move the person who can actually grant the ask, which quietly wastes a great deal of effort.
Choosing an audience means being honest about who has the power to deliver the change being sought. Sometimes that is a single official, sometimes a broader public whose opinion an official is watching closely, and the right tactics differ considerably depending on which of these applies to the specific campaign at hand.
Audience choice also shapes tone. Language that energises a committed base can alienate a wavering decision maker, so many campaigns run parallel messages, one to build support and another, more measured, aimed directly at whoever holds the power to say yes to the original ask.