Get inspiration and insights from some of the top digital influencers in the field through our Clients Creating Change series. Today, we’re talking with Elizabeth Eadie, Deputy Digital Director and Creative Director at the Democratic National Committee. As they ramp up for the 2016 cycle, here’s where she draws inspiration:
What do you enjoy most about working at the DNC? What’s surprised you?
I love the pace. It’s super fast. Our digital team is crazy smart and plugged in. We’ve been really deliberate with our hiring so we can build this creative and responsive team. They’re the best. Ok, I love my team. I’ve been surprised by how much work goes into one email. Whether it’s a graphic or text email, a lot of people are involved with ideation, creation, set up, routing, approvals, and sends!
What should non-politico digital strategists be looking out for this election cycle?
Leaning into design and branding continues to be a good strategy both in politics and beyond. The better you understand your email list, the better you can use intentional design and user-interface choices to move people to engage. Which leads me to my next point — analytics. Both design and strategic planning should be based on sound data. Also, mobile experiences are more and more important. I feel like we’ve seen this coming for some time (like, years) so there’s really no excuse to ignore it!
What are you most excited about from the Dems angle?
Right now, we’re seeing more and more emphasis being put on digital (for fundraising, organizing, and communications). From presidential campaigns to state parties, everyone is seeing a real return on investment—not only having strong programs but hiring people who will take creative and strategic risks. It’s an exciting time to be in this space.
The DNC has had to rev up as the Republican candidate announcements and debates are in full swing. How do you anticipate the team or organization evolving as we head into 2016?
We’re looking forward to highlighting all of the progress President Obama has made and is still making. Over and over, he’s been willing to do things others wouldn’t and couldn’t. From the ACA to economic recovery (have you seen the jobs chart?!) to the Supreme Court’s ruling on same sex marriage, America is a better place than it was when President Obama started this job and we’re going to continue to share this message with Democrats.
Looking ahead to the 2016 race, fortunately, I’m glad our opponents are already starting to drop out of the race because visualizing them has been the definition of choice paralysis! We’re creeping up on the 1-year-out mark and we’re continuing the grow our team. We’ve had such talented candidates for our jobs on the digital and tech teams—I’m looking forward to the products we create that will help us define our opponents and support our candidates.
How did you get started in design and tech?
Most of my career has been in the creative industry. My years at Disney were formative on the design side. When I moved to Baltimore and set up my freelance business, I used Twitter to connect with other freelancers. From there, I got very involved in the tech scene. At the time, I was a bit of an anomaly because I was a designer/developer…and a woman.
Who do you admire?
Oh man, that’s tough. So many…Paula Scher (the first female principal at Pentagram). And the DNC is led by some really awesome women—Debbie Wasserman Schultz is our Chair, Amy Dacey is our CEO, and Lindsey Reynolds is our COO. I’m also a total fangirl of some other women leading digital programs in the political space—Caitlin Mitchell who is VP of Digital at EMILY’s List and Jenna Lowenstein who is the Deputy Digital Director for Hillary for America. I should add a guy, huh?
What’s the first website you check in the morning?
To be technical, I don’t actually get on a website. I check my email. I check Slack, and I read Twitter.