The Mandate practice
Mandate: Political & Public Affairs
Win the argument before you ask for the vote.
Overview
Mandate is our political and public affairs practice. It works for candidates, parties, campaign organisations, government offices and the institutions that have to explain themselves to a public that is not obliged to listen.
Campaigns are usually lost on fundamentals rather than tactics: no defensible message, no reliable count of who is actually persuadable, no discipline when the pressure comes. We work on the fundamentals first, then run the machine that delivers them.
We hold a firm line on how the work is done. Mandate runs on verifiable claims, disclosed sponsorship and lawful campaigning. We do not run disinformation, fake grassroots operations, bot networks or voter suppression of any kind, for any fee. That constraint is the product: a campaign built this way survives scrutiny, and scrutiny always comes.
Capabilities
- Campaign strategy and management
- Path to victory, targeting, budget, calendar and the campaign structure to execute it.
- Message and communications
- Positioning, message testing, speeches, rapid response and surrogate discipline.
- Research and polling
- Opinion research, focus groups, public-record vulnerability studies and tracking.
- Digital campaigning
- Paid and organic digital, disclosed advertising, supporter growth and online rapid response.
- Field operations and mobilisation
- Canvassing, ward organisation, volunteer management and get-out-the-vote.
- Candidate development
- Debate preparation, media training, stump craft and performance coaching.
- Public affairs and government relations
- Stakeholder engagement, regulatory advocacy, coalition building and transparent lobbying.
- Integrity, compliance and crisis
- Spending compliance, disclosure, opposition attack readiness and crisis response.
Dedicated service pages
Every service, explained in full.
Each has its own page covering what is included, how we run it and what you receive.
Campaign Strategy & Management
A written path to victory with the arithmetic shown, and the campaign structure to execute it.
View serviceMessage & Political Communications
One defensible message, tested before it ships, and the discipline to keep everyone giving it.
View serviceResearch, Polling & Analytics
Opinion research, focus groups, vulnerability studies and tracking, run to a standard you can defend.
View serviceDigital Campaigning
Disclosed political advertising, supporter growth, online rapid response and platform compliance.
View serviceField Operations & Voter Mobilisation
Ward organisation, canvassing, volunteer management and election day mobilisation.
View serviceCandidate Development & Debate Preparation
Mock debates, hostile interview practice and delivery coaching, until the hard questions stop landing.
View servicePublic Affairs & Government Relations
Stakeholder engagement, regulatory advocacy, coalition building and transparent lobbying.
View serviceGovernment & Institutional Communications
Communications for offices in power: public information, constituency reporting and transition planning.
View serviceIntegrity, Compliance & Crisis
Spending compliance, disclosure, attack readiness and crisis response for candidates and offices.
View serviceService catalogue
Everything this practice delivers.
Nine divisions, engaged individually or as a full-service programme.
Campaign Strategy & Management
- Path-to-Victory Analysis
- Voter Targeting & Segmentation
- Campaign Plan Development
- Budget Design & Allocation
- Campaign Structure & Staffing
- Campaign Calendar & Milestones
- Coalition & Endorsement Strategy
- Campaign Management & Oversight
Message & Political Communications
- Core Message Development
- Message Testing & Refinement
- Speechwriting & Stump Speeches
- Manifesto & Policy Communication
- Rapid Response & Counter-Messaging
- Surrogate & Spokesperson Discipline
- Press Office Setup & Management
- Editorial & Op-Ed Placement
Research, Polling & Analytics
- Opinion Polling & Survey Design
- Focus Group Facilitation
- Constituency & Demographic Analysis
- Public-Record Vulnerability Research
- Competitor Position Analysis
- Message Testing Research
- Tracking Polls & Trend Monitoring
- Election Data Modelling
Digital Campaigning
- Digital Campaign Strategy
- Disclosed Political Advertising
- Social Media Campaign Management
- Supporter List Growth
- Email & SMS Campaigning
- Online Rapid Response
- Digital Fundraising Support
- Platform Compliance & Ad Transparency
Field Operations & Voter Mobilisation
- Field Plan Development
- Ward & Polling-Unit Organisation
- Door-to-Door Canvassing Programmes
- Volunteer Recruitment & Training
- Phone & SMS Voter Contact
- Voter Education & Registration Drives
- Get-Out-The-Vote Operations
- Election Day Logistics & Agent Deployment
Candidate Development & Performance
- Candidate Positioning & Narrative
- Debate Preparation & Mock Debates
- Media Training & Hostile Interview Practice
- Stump Speech & Delivery Coaching
- Town Hall & Community Engagement Craft
- Body Language & Presentation Support
- Candidate Briefing Books
- Spouse & Family Media Preparation
Public Affairs & Government Relations
- Stakeholder Mapping & Engagement
- Regulatory & Policy Advocacy
- Legislative Monitoring & Briefings
- Position Papers & Policy Submissions
- Coalition & Alliance Building
- Community & Constituency Relations
- Transparent Lobbying Support
- Public Consultation Management
Government & Institutional Communications
- Government Office Communications Setup
- Public Information Campaigns
- Constituency Reporting & Scorecards
- Project Commissioning Communications
- Executive & Ministerial Speechwriting
- Press Conference Management
- Citizen Engagement Programmes
- Transition & First-100-Days Planning
Integrity, Compliance & Crisis
- Campaign Finance & Spending Compliance
- Advertising Disclosure & Attribution
- Electoral Law & Regulatory Guidance
- Attack Readiness & Response Planning
- Scandal & Crisis Communication
- Misinformation Monitoring & Correction
- Candidate Vulnerability Audit
- Post-Election Review & Reporting
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Next step
Talk to the Mandate: Political & Public Affairs practice.
Send us the short version. We will come back with what we would need to know, an outline of the first engagement, and an honest view on fit.
