Background 

The adage “all politics is local” came to life when Delaware Governor John Carney, widely respected for his pragmatic and effective leadership, decided to run for Mayor of Wilmington. Nearing the end of his second gubernatorial term, Governor Carney sought to continue serving his community at the local level. However, his path to victory was not without challenges, as he faced a competitive primary against a former Wilmington elected official.

Approach

Kinetic joined a seasoned campaign team, including the Governor’s longtime staff, Global Strategy Group, and Northshore Strategies. With the primary on the horizon, our focus was clear: develop a targeted media strategy to highlight Governor Carney’s track record and mobilize voters in a low-turnout environment. We crafted a six-week, multi-channel paid media program aimed at a prime GOTV universe in Wilmington. The messaging focused on three tracks. First, we focused on housing affordability where we highlighted the Governor’s $100 million commitment to improving housing supply. Second, we needed to emphasize the Governor’s proven leadership and experience. Third, we talked about the Governor opening the first new school in Wilmington in 50 years under his tenure. Our paid efforts were largely positive, reinforcing the Governor’s reputation as a capable and trusted leader while energizing voters to turn out in a late primary.

Result

Governor Carney won his primary decisively, winning 54-46.  Our strategic and focused media efforts, informed by polling, played a key role in rallying voter support and ensuring his successful transition from state to local leadership. 

Quote

“The Kinetic Strategies team was instrumental in our campaign’s victory. From day one, they came prepared with a media plan and vision for our path to victory. With stellar creativity, acute attention to detail, and the experience needed to optimize our multi-channel ads program, Kinetic went all out in executing and implementing the strategy we needed to win.”  – John Carney