Campaign strategy
Designing the campaign as a coherent system: a realistic electoral target, priority audiences, a message, a timeline and a reasoned allocation of resources.
Who it is for
Candidates, campaign leadership teams and political parties, for local, legislative or national elections.
When
As early as possible before polling day; the strategy is then reviewed at every stage of the electoral cycle.
Key deliverables
Strategic plan, map of territorial priorities, phased timeline and resource allocation plan.
Campaigns are won first and foremost through coherence
Most campaigns lack neither energy nor goodwill; what they lack is a guiding line. Without an explicit strategy, resources are scattered, messages contradict each other from one area to the next, and decisions are taken at the pace of emergencies.
Political science approaches a campaign as a problem of allocation under constraint: limited time, finite means and a heterogeneous electorate whose dispositions — preferences, level of information, propensity to vote — vary widely. Every strategy arbitrates between two fundamental levers: the persuasion of undecided voters and the mobilisation of existing supporters.
Our role is to make these trade-offs objective: to set an electoral target grounded in explicit assumptions, identify credible pathways to reach it, and translate that choice into a plan the entire organisation can understand and execute.
What the engagement covers
Six workstreams structure the design of a campaign strategy.
Electoral target
Estimating, from previous elections and expected turnout, the number of votes required — expressed as a range rather than a certainty.
Mapping the electorate
Distinguishing strongholds, battleground areas and unfavourable territories in order to direct effort where it has the greatest effect.
Persuasion vs mobilisation
Determining, area by area, whether the priority is to win over new voters or to turn out those already committed.
Positioning
Defining the core proposition of the candidacy and how it stands out within the existing political offer.
Strategic timeline
Sequencing the campaign into phases — launch, build-up, final mobilisation — each with its own objectives.
Resource allocation
Allocating budget, the candidate’s time and teams in line with priorities, while preserving room for adjustment.
From diagnosis to action plan
A campaign strategy is built in successive stages, each validated before moving to the next.
Diagnosis
Electoral analysis, study of the competitive environment and audit of available resources.
Scenarios
Construction of alternative pathways and assessment of the conditions under which they can succeed.
Decision
Decision sessions with the candidate and campaign leadership to settle on a direction.
Planning
Translation into an action plan, timeline, budget and responsibilities.
Review
Regular reviews testing the plan against field data and changing circumstances.
Explicit, verifiable methods
Every tool we use is documented: its sources, assumptions and limitations are known to our clients.
Analysis of historical results
Close reading of previous elections, at the most granular level public data allows.
Turnout modelling
Estimating likely turnout by area in order to calibrate the vote target.
Competitive analysis
Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, measured against the positioning of rival candidacies.
Backward planning
Building the timeline from polling day and statutory deadlines.
Strategic dashboard
A small set of indicators shared by the whole campaign leadership.
Measuring honestly
Every indicator is labelled by status — target, calculated estimate or measured result — in line with our principles of rigour
| Indicator | What it shows | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Votes required | The threshold to be reached under the chosen turnout assumption. | Calculated estimate |
| Coverage of priority areas | The share of target areas actually covered by the campaign. | Measured result |
| Timeline milestones | The key stages the campaign has set itself. | Target |
| Planned vs committed budget | The financial sustainability of the plan. | Measured result |
An ambitious strategy within a fixed framework
Campaign strategy operates within limits we regard as non-negotiable.
Compliance with electoral law
Official calendar, financing, communication: the strategy is built within the legal framework, never around it.
Fair debate
We favour a contest of programmes. No strategy relies on disinformation or the denigration of individuals.
Honest projections
Targets are presented with their assumptions. An uncomfortable finding is worth more than a reassuring illusion.
Social cohesion
No strategy seeks to inflame community, religious or regional tensions.
Strategy is, above all, the art of deciding what not to do.AXIOME working principle
In what contexts do we work?
Illustrative situations: they do not describe actual engagements.
A first candidacy
A little-known candidate needs to build name recognition and identify the areas where their profile resonates.
An incumbent candidacy
An elected official must defend a record while renewing their offer in the face of changing expectations.
A two-round election
A party must reconcile qualifying in the first round with the ability to build a broader coalition in the second.
Frequently asked questions
As early as possible: an early strategy leaves time to build name recognition, structure the organisation and test messages. It remains useful at any point, including to redirect a campaign already under way.
No. It sets a course and priorities, but it is reviewed regularly in light of field data, shifts in public opinion and unforeseen events.
The candidate and their campaign leadership. We clarify the options, their conditions and their risks; the political decision is theirs.
Related expertise
Let's discuss your project
Every political context is unique. A first, strictly confidential conversation allows us to understand what is at stake and define the most relevant support.
