This document provides an overview of campaign communications strategies for union organizing. It discusses the importance of a balanced communications approach using both earned media coverage and direct outreach. Key recommendations include knowing the target audience, focusing messages on workers not just unions, and using personal stories. The document also offers tips for effectively using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to engage members and spread union messages.

1. CAMPAIGN
COMMUNICATIONS 101
IBEW Membership Development
Conference
Las Vegas, NV – Sept. 19, 2012
Alex Hogan – Communications
Specialist, IBEW
alexander_hogan@ibew.org - @alexmhogan

2. Why is the IBEW
important to you
and your family?
In just one word

3. Approval ratings for unions are the
lowest they’ve been in 50 years: 52%

4. A good communications
strategy is a balance of
earned and direct media
involving multiple tools

5. Direct Media: We communicate
directly with target audience –
flyers, newsletters, Web sites, social
media
Earned Media: Someone else
reports our story –
newspapers, TV, radio, bloggers

6. WHAT ARE OUR OPPONENTS SAYING
ABOUT US?

7. No one should be forced
to pay union dues
against their will
Project Labor
Agreements are anti-
competitive giveaways to
unions
Big union bosses are
greedy special interests
that are in it for
themselves – they kill
jobs and hurt business

8. What Are We Saying About
Ourselves?

9. The Four C’s
Clear
Concise
Compelling
Connect

10. Famous Messages
Right to Work
“It’s the Economy Stupid”
“Morning in America”
“Change”
“Bin Laden is Dead, GM is Alive”
“No Child Left Behind”

11. How Not to Message
1. Use your opponent’s
framework
2. Rely on numbers and facts
3. Try to convince your
opponent, not the people in the
middle

12. Some Hints
- Know your audience
- Talk about workers, not unions
- Make it personal. Use real people
- Keep the community in mind
- Don’t ignore facts but win people
on values
- Be positive

13. Sample Messages:
l Project Labor Agreements helps
communities by putting skilled residents to
work making a decent wage – money that
goes back into the local economy
l The IBEW offers a career, not just a job
l Unions help protect all middle class
families by giving workers the ability to
speak out for better wages and benefits
and serving as a check on greedy CEOs
and politicians

14. “Does anyone have
any questions for
my answers?”
-Henry Kissinger

15. Sticking to Your
Message
l Practice, practice, practice
l Everyone on the same
page
l Learn the art of the pivot

17. How to Pivot
1. Block the premise and follow up with your
message
l “That’s not my area of expertise, but what I
can tell you..”
l “I think real issue is…”
l “What working families really want to know…”
2. Step back and invite the audience on your
side.

18. Dealing with the Media

19. It isn’t an option…
l What you are doing is of interest
to the public
l If the press wants do a story bad
enough, it will do it whether or not
you cooperate
l Your opponents aren’t shy
l If you’re not talking to the
press, who is?

20. A proactive media strategy
means:
l More positive stories that tell
our side
l Clear up miscommunications
lFrame the issue from a pro-
worker angle

21. 10 Do’s and Don’ts Dealing with the
Press
Do Know
Your
Message
Don’t Be
Afraid to Say
“I don’t know”

22. 10 Do’s and Don’ts Dealing with the
Press
Do ask
“What’s your
deadline?”
Don’t Say “No
comment”

23. 10 Do’s and Don’ts Dealing with the
Press
Do use
spokespeople
Don’t rely
on a press
release to
get attention

24. 10 Do’s and Don’ts Dealing with the
Press
Do be
accessible
Don’t use
shop talk

25. 10 Do’s and Don’ts Dealing with the
Press
Do share the
good things
you do
Don’t say
more than
you need

26. And one last thing…Don’t forget
bloggers
l
www.leftyblogs.com
l www.dailykos.com
l www.mydd.com

27. Getting the
Media’s
Attention

28. l Get to the know the
press beforehand.
l Are you interesting?
Timely? Fresh?
l Make the press’s job
easier
l What the press likes:
conflict, academic
reports, VIPs, experts.
And the funny and/or
unexpected

29. Letters to the Editor/Op-Eds
l Make it topical
l Know the word
count
l Keep it local
l Have someone
read it over

31. Social Media is any Website
that allows online
communication and interaction
with other users

32. Since the Chicago Teachers Strike
Began:
l More than 16,000 new Facebook
fans
l More than 81,000 Facebook users
talking about the CTU
l Hashtags #CTUStrike and
#FairContractNow top two trending
tags on Twitter

33. Social Media
is a
relationship –
not a speech

34. Social media is an important
commitment – you are either
in or you’re out
Make it part of your daily
routine

35. At least one to two posts a
day – Facebook, Twitter
l Share others work
(ibew.org, afl-cio etc.)
l Do polls, ask questions
l Upload photos

36. Three Tips on Using Facebook to
Organize
1. Build your local’s/campaign’s page
l Tell your members about it
l Post frequently – and make it engaging
l A good page name

37. Union Friends on Facebook
IBEW: www.facebook.com/ibewfb
AFL-CIO: www.facebook.com/aflcio
Economic Policy Institute:
www.facebook.com/pages/Economic-Policy-Institute
Union Plus: www.facebook.com/unionplus
American Rights at Work:
www.facebook.com/americanrightsatwork
Working America:
www.facebook.com/WorkingAmerica
Rick Smith Show:

38. Three Tips on Using Facebook to
Organize
2. Facebook Ads

40. This ads targets 300
users:
l who live in the United States
l who live within 50 miles of Wilkes-
Barre, PA
l between the ages of 18 and 60 inclusive
l who like electrician
apprentice, journeyman
electricians, electrical
construction, foreman, electrician, journeyma

42. CTR: Click through Rate - the
number of clicks on an ad divided
by the number of times the ad is
shown
Clicks: the number of people who
clicked on your ad
Campaign Reach: The total
number of people who saw your ad
CPC: Cost per click – how much
each click costs you

43. Ad Tips
l Experiment with different ad
copy
l Close up face photos get good
responses
l Don’t mention unions
l Microtarget

44. Three Tips on Using Facebook to
Organize
3. Put Pressure on a Company (or Politician)

45. Some Tips
l Activate your members/supporters
online
l Use it to amplify real world activity
l Target the company’s page

47. l For influencers, not the
masses
l Authenticity counts
l Listen, rather than talk
l Sharing is caring -RT

48. RT: retweet
MT: modified retweet
@: the @ sign is used to call out usernames in Tweets, like this: Hello @Twitter!
When a username is preceded by the @ sign, it becomes a link to a Twitter profile
D: put a d and username before your message and it becomes a private message
between you and the recipient
FF: #FF stands for "Follow Friday." Twitter users often suggest who others should
follow on Fridays by tweeting with the hashtag #FF
Follower: A follower is another Twitter user who has followed you.
Following: Your following number reflects the quantity of other Twitter users you
have chosen to follow on the site
Lists: Curated groups of other Twitter users
Top Tweets: Tweets determined by a Twitter algorithm to be the most popular or
resonant on Twitter at any given time.

49. l Use hashtags
(#verigreedy, #1u, #ibew)
l Live tweet events
l Follow people you want following
you – press, elected officials, allies
l Press releases
l Use the tools –
hootsuite.com, TweetDeck.com
l Act.ly petition

51. Three Ways YouTube Can
Boost Organizing
l Provide useful information
l Create a person-to-person
connection
l Be the media

52. Some Tips
l Don’t make it longer
than three to four minutes
l Tag it
l Share it

53. QUESTIONS?
COMMENTS? WANT A
COPY OF THE
PRESENTATION?
Send me a tweet at
@alexmhogan