Written by Zubin Sanyal
Last week, I had the chance to attend the inaugural Next Campaign Summit in Toronto, an event that brought together the sharpest minds in political campaigns, digital strategy, and creative innovations. It was a fantastic opportunity to dive into where political campaigning is headed in the next few years, and it gave me plenty to think about.
There were two major themes that continuously came up in conversations and panel discussions throughout the summit. First, we’re all still figuring out AI’s role in political campaigns, and while it’s exciting, it’s also a bit unpredictable. Second, the long approval processes in campaigns are becoming a major hurdle, slowing everything down and making it harder to stay agile in this fast-paced world. Here’s my take on what it all means.
AI is a game-changer with some obvious strings attached.
There’s no denying that AI has already started reshaping how we approach campaigns. From creating hyper-targeted ads to automating mundane tasks, AI is the shiny new tool in the digital campaign toolbox. But the reality is, we still don’t fully know where AI will take us. It’s a double-edged sword that could open the door to incredible creativity—or introduce a host of challenges.
Of note, AI has sparked a new wave of creativity among supporters. People are leveraging AI-powered tools to create their own content, share their messages, and rally behind causes in ways we haven’t seen before. It’s exciting to watch, and it’s changing the game in real time.
But here’s where it gets tricky: that very creativity could become a bit of a headache for campaigns. When you have supporters running with their own ideas and using AI to scale those efforts, things can get messy…fast. As a campaign, how do you maintain control over messaging without crushing that enthusiasm? The balance between letting creativity flourish and keeping things on-brand is going to be one of the biggest challenges as AI continues to grow in influence.
The ‘approvals’ elevator gets slower every year.
The second big theme at the summit was something that every strategist, manager, or digital lead knows too well: approvals.
Campaigns are notorious for having long, drawn-out approval processes that grind everything to a halt. Everyone wants to protect the brand, and with good reason, but in the rush to be cautious, campaigns are sacrificing speed and agility—two things that are non-negotiable in today’s digital-first world.
There was one example from a Washington Post article that really hit home for me: “Back in 2016, a single tweet from Hillary Clinton’s campaign might have taken 12 staffers and 10 drafts to get approved. Compare that to today, where Vice President Kamala Harris’s team can create, approve, and post a TikTok video in under 30 minutes.” That’s a huge shift, and it’s the kind of agility that campaigns need if they want to stay competitive.
So why are we still stuck with these massive approval chains that slow everything down? The reality is that campaign teams are made up of a lot of people with a lot of opinions, all wanting to make sure that no misstep happens. But the truth is, this desire for perfection is often at odds with the fast-paced nature of digital campaigning. Streamlining the approval process doesn’t mean compromising on quality—it means trusting your team to get things right faster.
So, why does any of this matter?
The landscape of political campaigning is changing faster than ever before. AI is only going to become more prevalent, and the campaigns that can harness its power without letting it run wild are going to be the ones that succeed. Likewise, the campaigns that can figure out how to streamline their approval processes will be more responsive, more flexible and ultimately, more successful.
But it’s not just about technology or processes. At the end of the day, these challenges—balancing AI’s potential and speeding up approvals—are about how campaigns can connect with people in a meaningful, authentic way. Voters expect real-time responses and dynamic engagement, and campaigns that move too slowly or lose control of their messaging are going to fall behind.
Next Campaign Summit was a reminder that political campaigning is always evolving, and the future is both exciting and uncertain. AI is here to stay, and it’s opening up new possibilities that we’re only beginning to understand. At the same time, the old ways of doing things—like long approval processes—are holding us back. The key to successful campaigns will be finding the balance between innovation and control, speed and accuracy.
As someone who’s deeply involved in digital political campaigns, creative strategy, and paid media, I’m excited about the opportunities ahead. And I’m ready to help organizations navigate these challenges, finding ways to harness AI’s power while keeping campaigns agile and effective.
If you made it this far and want to know more, let’s connect!
