1,000 Parties, 60 Thousand Voters – Brought Together by Text Message

2 minute read

Team Mobile Messaging

When a national campaign wants to engage supporters on a personal level, local house parties can be a great way to do it. At a house party, it’s not just about donating money or calling a congressperson. A group experience provides social reinforcement that encourages deeper commitment.

Organizing local events, though, can be tricky, especially if they all have to happen at the same time. Reform Immigration for America pulled off an amazing feat when they created a nationwide conference call that included 60,000 supporters at over 1,000 house parties across the nation. The call was a discussion of immigration reform with Congressman Luis Gutierrez, Congressman Raul Grijalva and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez. It took place at a critical juncture, as Gutierrez prepared to introduce an immigration reform bill.

A Mobile Campaign Connected Supporters with Hosts in their Area

How did Reform Immigration for America drive attendance to this event? They launched a multi-tier mobile plan to connect people to house parties near them. First they texted select supporters to recruit party hosts. Their staff then contacted people who texted back that they’d be willing to host a party and confirmed the details. Once they had scheduled the parties, they sent out a wider text blast to all their supporters inviting them to text in their zip codes. If there was a party nearby, people would receive the date, time and address. If not, they would get a message saying they could join in solo – and offering to connect them automatically once the call had begun.

Political organizers have long known that even the best national campaign will suffer if it can’t connect to constituents on a local, personal level. House parties are just one way to do it. How can your organization use location-specific information to motivate supporters? Contact us to discuss ideas.

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