How to Win Campaigns: 100 Steps to Success

This great book is a tool-kit, based on the author’s extensive experience with Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and a host of other organizations. It will appeal to all communication professionals and students – primarily to those in public relations (PR) - even though the author draws a distinction between mainstream PR campaigns and the kind of environmental campaigns he has been associated with.

A central message is that effective communication is not just a matter of publicizing an opinion, but of affecting change. This may sound simple, in which case why do so many campaigns fail? This question is addressed in the section on “to do and not to do” which includes intriguing headings such as “Be simple: Avoid ‘the issue’; and “Don’t assume we need to change minds.”

Other sections include communicating with humans (which emphasizes the critical importance of story telling); research and development; planning; organizing communications; working with the news media and keeping a campaign going.

This practical, down to earth book has taught me a lot – and I say that as one who has been in the communications industry for a long time.

Chris Rose is rare amongst consultants in that he doesn't tell you what you already know. Instead, he always brings an incisive mind and innovative strategising to campaigning. And this book distils his thinking and experience in an easy to access readable form. It's the closest you'll get to a campaign 'althiometer' for planning, doing and doctoring your campaign. I recommend it. With his free campaign advice website, newsletter and this book, Chris Rose is in danger of putting himself out of a job.

Refreshingly, this book deals with grass roots activist campaigns, as opposed to conventional corporate marketing. However, the impassioned amateurs it intends to teach may need persistence to penetrate its meandering organizational structure, which is perhaps more hampered than helped by the "100 steps" format. Author Chris Rose offers solid information on organizing campaigns and on communication strategies, but clustering it more tightly might have provided greater utility. Rose, a veteran Greenpeace activist, offers excellent examples from environmental campaigns. Given his expertise, that is understandably the main issue discussed in the book. The information on media management is likewise solid, if somewhat general for today's diverse media market, particularly in listing media likes and dislikes. The marketing information is appropriately geared for beginners, except for the complex diagrams on motivational characteristics and issue mapping. If you seek inspiration and concrete tactics for transforming your ideas into action and public policy, we find that this manual is a good place to start.

Chris Rose has written the ultimate guide to winning a campaign. The book is a clear and insightful view on what it takes to succeed . In 100 key steps you are given expert guidance on how to achieve results. Chris is a respected and experienced campaigner and has written a definitive and informative guide that makes the link between principles and analysis with strategy and motivation. A must read for anybody embarking on a campaign whatever the issue.

Chris Rose has written one of the most useful guides to campaigning yet to hit the bookshelf. In a very readable form the author provides step by step guidance to campaigning and winning. Wether you want to save the corner shop, achieve or prevent a by-pass or fight globalisation this book provides an invaluable reference with practical help at every stage. Something that I found of particular value is the analysis of audiences. How people behave when confronted by your message and how it and you are perceived will radically impact upon the success or otherwise of your campaign. This book helps you understand what motivates people and how you can manage your own messages better to encourage motivation and action.

Understandably not all the book is relevant in every campaigning case and not all of us can call upon the resources of the big organisations like Greenpeace or Friends of the Earth. However many of the messages, ideas and hints for success can be taken up and modified according to circumstance. How to use the media, how to plan the strategy and choosing the right approach for the case are user friendly and helpful and can be adapted as you go along to capitalise on success or fight back if the going gets tough.

I have been involved in various campaigns both big and small over the last 20 years. You win some and you lose some but if this book had been available I might have won a lot more.