What does Obama’s Deputy Campaign Manager think matters in campaigning?

A big part of the book I co-wrote with Ed Maxfield, 101 Ways To Win An Election, is about data: why it matters, how to get it and how to use it.

The Obama Presidential campaigns (using the same key database as the Lib Dems now use) are often cited as one of the triumphs of canny data usage as are both the Brexit and Donald Trump campaigns of more recent vintage (though beware the Trump hype).

So the views of Obama 2012 Deputy Campaign Manager Jen O’Malley Dillon on the subject are still very relevant. I heard them as part of the Contested Spaces conference in London a few years ago when we were both on the same panel.

A few years back, but insight that’s still very relevant and (hence the reason for resurrecting it) still often greatly under-appreciated:

There is nothing more important than data collection.

Data is your organisational lifeblood. So take it seriously, take good care of it and use it wisely.

For more on my take on the subject, and tips on how to make the most of data, see 101 Ways To Win An Election.