For most of us, a wedding is the biggest event we will ever plan. 

There are lots of moving pieces, and lots of people involved. The decorator needs to colour-coordinate the venue. The caterers have to serve the food on time. The wedding party speeches can’t be too long, or too cringe. The photographer has to get the shots she wants. The DJ’s setlist has to suit the crowd. Do it correctly, and the star couple and guests are all happy.  

Now, imagine planning a wedding every day for thirty days. That’s what organizing a major political campaign is like. The stakes are high. The team is huge. And everyone has to play their part perfectly. 

First, there are the advance teams, leapfrogging each other from city to city, scouting locations for events. Behind the scenes there are writers, video teams, social media specialists, policy experts and others who create content. There are media relations teams acting as publicists. Then there are fundraisers, volunteer coordinators, media monitors, admin staff, wagon masters and a slew of other roles – all coordinated by a core leadership team of senior campaign strategists. If they do their job correctly that day, the candidate is happy. Do it correctly for the whole campaign, and the voters choose you.  

The end of every day on a campaign feels like the aftermath of a wedding, and the start of every new day feels like the day of the next wedding – every day for a month or more. 

In communications, a provincial or national election campaign is the most gruelling, demanding and exhilarating event you will ever plan. It is “the big show.” 

So, we can all learn a lot from elections about how to start a marketing blitz, a capital campaign, or shaping public opinion. 

It starts and ends with a good story: The media need stories. A tax cut announcement is nice, but the pros know that if you can tell a story about how it helps a real family or business, it’s way more memorable. Same with your company announcement: make it relevant to the audience. 

Make it visual:  Good stories show, they don’t tell. A common refrain on the campaign trail is that someone watching the news on television should know what your story is without even turning on the volume. Does your announcement lend itself to good visuals? 

If you’re explaining, you’re losing: In a campaign, if you find yourself explaining yourself, you’re actually in a crisis. Do you find yourself explaining why your company is doing something? Chances are, you’re in a crisis without knowing it.  

Why should I care? In politics, “why” is everything. If I don’t know why I need to vote for you – if there is nothing at stake – I won’t vote for you. If your audience doesn’t know why your product or service matters, they will find a competitor who can give them that reason. 

Speak to the moment. If nationalism is at an all time high, perhaps saying the country is “broken” is the wrong message. We are seeing in real time how quickly reality can change. Make sure your message resonates with the current concerns of your audience.

Teamwork and trust are everything. In a campaign, every member of the team has an important role, no matter how small. Do you recognize the contributions of everyone on the team? You should. 

Plan, and plan again. Every detail in a campaign matters. Every spelling error on a sign, every unfortunate photo op with a tank or a jet ski, every middle finger and “fuddle duddle” lives on in infamy. if you make a plan for all the knowns you will be able to respond to the unknowns when they happen – and they will happen.

Winners look like they are having fun. If you seem to be having a good time on the campaign, voters will enjoy your campaign. Joy is contagious. So if you and your team aren’t excited about your message, don’t expect your audience to be, either. 

What campaigns teach us best of all, though, is there is no end to creativity in communications. Every new marketing campaign, product launch or rebranding is an opportunity to learn something new, to take new risks, and do things differently. 

That’s why we love what we do at Curious Public: just like no two weddings (or elections)  are ever the same, no two clients are ever the same. The possibilities are endless. The opportunity for creativity is unbounded. 

And if you’re curious – and always ready to learn – communications is the best job in the world.