Whether through a great convention speech, a winning debate performance, or a resonant TV advertisement, educating students about successful communications and hearing about their favorite strategies from previous elections is Andrew Whitehouse’s favorite part of teaching.
“In our class we explore what it takes to be successful as a candidate for political office in the United States,” says Andrew, who teaches Political and Crisis Communications in the Strategic Communication program. “There are three main areas of focus for our discussions: what constitutes an effective political message; what good political research looks like; and how to organize and execute a campaign.”
As a seasoned expert in the field and a senior partner and global head of marketing at Penta Group, Andrew shared with us his insights on how campaigns have evolved over time, the impact of technology, and the importance of effective political communications.
How does this election differ from past ones in terms of political communications? Are there any similarities?
This presidential election has clearly offered a lot of surprises and plenty of talking points. It is interesting to see how the use of technology evolves in campaigns from cycle to cycle, but I believe that the similarities outweigh the differences. In the end, a well-run, well-funded campaign with a candidate that delivers the right message will likely win out.
Having said that, there are certainly some new tactics at play. The Harris campaign has made highly effective the use of mass video calls to promote the Vice President’s candidacy and to raise money. This move reminded me of the innovative use of MySpace by Howard Dean’s campaign in the early 2000s. At the same time, we know from the research that conversations about politics between neighbors remain the single most powerful tool of persuasion.
Since President Joe Biden stepped aside as the Democratic presidential nominee, what changes have you seen in the communication tactics of both campaigns?
The President’s decision to not seek re-election turned the race upside down. Everything has shifted for both presidential campaigns. I think it’s still a little too early to draw definitive conclusions about permanent shifts in tactics, but my sense is that both campaigns are testing a range of moves. In politics, crisis is something of a constant: making preparedness a much tougher task.
Given the current political situation, will you approach your courses differently this semester?
I’ll next teach Political Communications in 2025. I’m glad that I’ll have some time to reflect on the lessons from this presidential cycle and indeed on the vast number of elections happening around the world in 2024. However, I don’t expect the central argument of my class to change: that the critical ingredients to effective political communications are human beings, not technologies.
What do you think we can expect to see in the political communications landscape in the coming months?
That there are plenty more surprises to come before November 5.
On Wednesday, September 18, Andrew Whitehouse will be a panelist at the “Strategies for Combating Political Misinformation: The 2024 Elections” event, hosted by the M.S. in Strategic Communication and M.S. in Political Analytics programs. Learn more and RSVP.
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