Kamala Harris launched her presidential campaign a little more than a week ago, and I'm not sure it could have gone better. The launch has been textbook communication strategy and execution, and ought to be studied by veteran and aspiring comms pros alike. Some lessons and best practices:
1. Be nimble and, when necessary, fast. Within an hour of Joe Biden announcing he wouldn't be running, Harris had a statement out saying she would work to earn the nomination. Rather than be passive, Harris drove the news cycle on Sunday.
2. Line up validators and external support. The Vice President reportedly made more than 30 calls to leaders across the party last Sunday alone, asking for their support. The payoff was a steady drumbeat of endorsements that captured a real sense of momentum. The campaign has since regularly deployed top-tier surrogates on TV and at events.
3. Make your messaging clear, concise, and consistent. From her first statement to subsequent speeches, social media posts, and fundraising pitches, the campaign has displayed remarkable message discipline (including coalescing around a new, informal slogan - "we aren't going back").
4. Fill the news cycle and information vacuum. On Monday, Harris spoke at an event on the White House lawn and then traveled up to Wilmington to speak in front of campaign staff. Throughout the week, she made campaign appearances and provided fresh content for news outlets and external audiences. All with the goal of using the campaign reset to reintroduce herself to the nation.
5. Embrace the memes - and good vibes. Some of the best content has come not from the campaign itself but supporters online (Coconuts, Brat Summer). Her campaign has seized on the energy and goodwill.
A campaign is a marathon, not a sprint. There's a long way until November. She and her campaign likely will have setbacks. For this first week plus, though, she's knocked it out of the park, with the result being hours of positive earned media.
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