Leaders in the field of political campaign management met in Washington to discuss the current situation

On the 16th of November, the leaders in the field of political campaign management with intricate expertise backed with years of experience in different political systems all across the world met in Washington, the cradle of big politics, to discuss the ongoing situation. This landmark event held exactly one year before the US presidential election, covered extensively the most important challenges facing the industry both nationally and globally such as polarization, the spread of disinformation and fake news, the integration of artificial intelligence into political campaigns, and the rising cost of elections.

Kateryna Odarchenko, a political strategist and consultant with experience in leading successful election campaigns in six countries, pointed out the fact that people in Central Asia and Eastern Europe do not believe in research as a tool in election campaign management, which is a significant distinction from Western (US, Canada) approach. Instead, they prefer to buy TV ads and run the campaign without prior investigation of the needs and demands of their population. The approach of Central Asian and Eastern European campaign managers was summed up by Kateryna as “We don`t have time for research – we have time for action.” Also, Kateryna pointed out an interesting correlation between democracy development and the use of research tools in election campaigns. Citing the Global Electoral Democracy Index of 2022 updated with data from 2023 (see pic. 1), Kateryna showed how countries with low democratic development usually do not resort to research and do not check voters’ attitudes after the election itself. However, the research has proved to be highly effective in understanding your audience to figure out its key issues at that moment in time and building a successful strategy with less expenses on things, which are not in demand by the population.

The forum was divided into panels, covering the following topics:

– The changing face of global politics: An overview of global politics and its implications for campaign management.

– U.S. elections – what to expect, primary results, and the role of coalition election committees. An in-depth discussion on the upcoming US elections, primary election results, expected trends, and how they may affect the future of American politics.

– Demystifying political branding and fundraising and financial management for political campaigns. A combined session covering the importance of branding in political campaigns, creating a strong, resonant political brand, learning fundraising techniques and campaign budget management strategies.

– International elections – examples from five continents: A detailed review and analysis of recent municipal, regional, and national election campaigns from five continents, highlighting the unique strategies employed and the challenges they faced.

– Developing and delivering effective political messages and the role of social media in modern political campaigns. An in-depth look at the art of crafting persuasive political messages, how to communicate them to the electorate, and the impact of social media on a political campaign.

– Practical cases and tips. This session will delve into current research in the field of political elections, focusing on practical cases and offering solid advice.

SPEAKERS included one of the most prominent experts in the field, among them:

• Karen Mulhauser: a former U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Florid
• Kendall Coffey: a prominent political consultant who worked as a Senior Adviser in the presidential campaign for Barack Obama
• Eli Hadzhieva: a consultant and communication expert who leads campaigns for key European politicians and campaigns, a founder of EURELIZ consultancy company and Dialogue for Europe think tank in Brussels.
• Stephen Blank: an internationally recognized expert and senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
• Peter Huessy: a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute
• Kateryna Odarchenko: a political strategist and consultant with experience leading successful election campaigns in six countries.

The discussion proved to be highly successful and productive. Data from different countries helped experts indicate the main trends facing the US and the world today. As a result, experts unanimously identified ways to address challenges such as disinformation and polarization when discussing preparations for the upcoming US presidential election.