That Was Then by M. K. Tod

Author:M. K. Tod [Tod, M.K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tod Publishing

35

I awoke bleary-eyed and sluggish, with a heavy sense of dread. The last thing I wanted was food, so instead I showered and donned another combination of black and white before heading out the door. I bought a latte with a double shot of espresso at a nearby café where a few students lingered on the sidewalk outside, and then headed to the campaign office.

As I walked and took the occasional sip of coffee, the sluggish feeling eased. Rather than thinking of Brad Greiner and the appraising look he’d given me the night before—a look that made my entire body recoil—I focused on shaping the materials I’d read into an education policy that people could understand. “Tell it like a story,” Joe always said. “Readers don’t want essays full of complex ideas backed up by data, they want stories to read while munching a piece of toast.”

Once the research was complete, I spent the next hour outlining an education policy. “Here’s a draft of the education piece,” I said to Jim Noble, after handing him my final edit. “I hope it’s the kind of thing you’re looking for.”

Jim rolled his shoulders. “Too much time at my desk,” he said with a yawn. “Sorry for yawning. I didn’t sleep well last night. The baby was up at least five times.”

"How old is the baby,” I asked.

“Four months, but he isn’t sleeping through the night yet. Wait until you have one. It’s amazing but a lot of work.”

He placed the document on the left side of his desk. “I wasn’t expecting you to be so quick. I’ll check it out tonight.”

I sensed Jim’s impatience. “What do you need me to do now?”

“I’ve been thinking about that.” He rummaged through a pile of papers stacked on a plastic tray. “Can’t find it, but no matter. We engaged a consultant to develop a digital media strategy. I thought I’d printed a copy to give you, but I guess not. Anyway, I’ll send it to you. Why don’t you have a look at it and give me your thoughts?”

My stomach flip-flopped. How could I possibly critique the work of a digital media consultant? “What sort of brief did you give him?” I asked. Perhaps Jim’s answer would give me some clues.

“I told him we want Brad’s campaign to stand apart from what others are doing. That’s a given, of course. We all know social media is critical, but you can’t just do the same thing as everyone else. I said I was looking for new ideas, in particular ones that will engage voters.” Jim reached for a yellow stickie and jotted a quick note. “I’ll send you the brief as well.”

I parroted something from my TCR colleague’s research. “I suspect dialogue is key, whether that’s dialogue between voters and the campaign, or dialogue among voters prompted by the campaign’s messaging. Even negative feedback can be useful.”

“You’re right. I also asked the consultant for his thoughts on reaching different market segments.”

“Do you have a deadline in mind?”

Jim’s smile—an upward flick of his lips—appeared for less than a second.

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