“Grisons 2022" was probably the most sensational cantonal referendum that Switzerland has ever seen. Never before has there been so comprehensive information, never before have so many voters been addressed personally and never has a cantonal ballot had so much — including national — media coverage. The intensive work over twelve months brought positive and negative experiences. A few practical tips can be derived from this for future political campaigns in Swiss sport. *
12 media conferences, 32 media releases, over 200 events with around 30,000 visitors, several hundred postings on social media, around 600 pages of content and downloads on the company's own website, 70 pages of Q&A, countless larger and smaller interviews and over 200 letters to the editor were produced for Graubünden in 2022. After a good 12 months, over 300 personalities were on the support committee, 4,000 fans had registered on Facebook, over 6,700 media articles had been published, which would result in a press review of over 9,000 pages or 13 federal folders.
And yet it was not possible to convince Graubünden voters to run for the Olympics. Political campaigns follow their own rules, which are unfortunately not enshrined anywhere. Every campaign is different because every project has different stakeholders. At the beginning of every campaign, an attempt must therefore be made to identify all groups that are positively or negatively affected by a project. For each group, it must be determined how best to “pick them up”: how to make them a group of ambassadors or how to deal with their concerns and dispel them as far as possible.
The list of stakeholders is not exhaustive, but it serves as an orientation and checklist for campaign work during the campaign.
Support supporters
The sport has a lot of “fans” or “supporters.” When fully involved, they can be of great help to a political campaign. Ideally, they form their own networks and work independently on the ground for the cause. However, most project supporters are not campaign-tested. They are not political professionals and they also have only limited resources to work politically.
A support network must therefore be tightly managed. Clear statements about our expectations of them are very important. Prepared documents such as arguments, doctoral material, “how-to” leaflets and checklists are a prerequisite for professional work at the grassroots level.
Supporters at the grassroots level do not replace their own campaign work: Only those who are “with the people” themselves get and keep a feel for the atmosphere “outside” and can also understand what the supporters are experiencing. VIP tents are less suitable for this than fan zones, where “normal” voters travel. A “Saturday morning before Migros” often brings more feedback and ideas than ten champagne cocktails. Incidentally, this applies not only to campaign managers, but also to board members, presides, etc.
Professional supporters
Executive politicians and their administrations, i.e. offices, are very important contacts. Before starting a campaign, it should be discussed openly with them what their options are and where their limits are. Because although executive bodies and offices are the “centers of power,” they are not allowed by law to do everything that, for example, an association, an association or a private person is allowed to do.
The interpretive rules also include a clear definition of who is the “owner” of the project and therefore also takes the lead. Politicians of all stripes are professional supporters of a wide range of concerns. They can be of great help when they use their good name on various levels for a cause. Just like other supporters, they expect clear messages about what we expect from them. Their deployment must also be orchestrated and streamlined.
But politicians are like individual athletes: In the end, nothing counts as much as victory. Politicians are very reluctant to lose. If the project turns into trembling, many of them take cover.
... and opportunists
Sports and sports projects have the advantage that they can be emotionally conveyed in various ways. This can trigger enthusiasm and “make projects fly.” But sporting models are also stages of vanity and the opportunity for rapid presence in the spotlight. Quickly get into the topic and get out of here quickly: The more emotional and bigger the topic, the more likely there are also exponents who are committed purely for particular interests.
By the way, for such “maneuvers”, the side of the opponents is more efficient than that of the advocates. That is why people can speak out against a project at any time from whom you would not have expected it.
* From a presentation by Christian Gartmann to media directors of Swiss sports associations at a meeting of Swiss Olympic on September 3, 2013 in Bern.