Direct Mail for Political Campaigns - National Democratic Training Committee

Direct Mail for Political Campaigns

By Morgan Harris & Allyson Raines
60 min
Messaging & Communications

What You’ll Learn

  • Define direct mail for political campaigns
  • Develop effective messaging for direct mail
  • Target voters in a direct mail universe
  • Create a budget for direct mail
  • Determine timing and execution of direct mail

Why This Is Important

Nearly all voters have a mailbox, and direct mail is an effective and affordable way to reach voters. Direct mail can reach voters the Field Team can’t reach, target specific demographics, help a candidate gain name recognition, communicate the candidate’s story, and help voters navigate the polls.

Key Resources

  • Direct Mail Budget Template
  • Direct Mail Worksheet

Related Trainings

Morgan Harris

Trainer

Morgan Harris is president and managing partner of Acacia Consulting Group, a full-service communications and marketing firm with political, consumer, and social impact expertise. Acacia has expertise on political campaigns of all sizes, from municipal to congressional to statewide. Currently the firm represents a range of clients including nonprofits, filmmakers and studios, theatrical venues, and consumer services, all with a focus on social responsibility and impact. Morgan’s communications career began in 2000 at a boutique public relations firm. In 2008 he joined a national agency, leading US marketing efforts for Disney, Warner Bros., Columbia Pictures, Paramount, and more. When not obsessing over campaign strategy, you can find him engaging in a Netflix binge or playing with his cats, Oliver and Simon.

Allyson Raines

Trainer

Allyson Raines joined NDTC in 2019 and is currently serving as the Chief of Staff and Operations. She is responsible for managing strategy and operations for NDTC’s training programs. Allyson believes that organizing and electoral campaigns are transformational experiences. She sees herself first and foremost as a manager and coach developing staffers who center collaborative, human centered political work. After earning her BA in Sociology from the University of Michigan, she started her career as a professional organizer in Detroit, MI with the Harriet Tubman Center for Community Organizing. Her passion for equitable access to healthcare led her to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund where she spent 8 years fighting for reproductive health care. Allyson has managed electoral campaigns on a county and statewide level in North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Ohio. She lives in Oak Park, IL with her family Michael, Emmett, Elliot, and their princess pup Reggie.