Jarol B. Manheim, in his 2011 work “Strategy in Information and Influence Campaigns,” defines such campaigns as deliberate efforts by one entity to alter another’s behavior to its advantage through a combination of communication and actions.
Campaigns systematically manage information as a political resource, achieving specific objectives based on the science of decision-making at individual, organizational, and governmental levels. They are typically centralized, highly structured, and carefully orchestrated to maximize impact.
The strategic communication involves the creation, distribution, control, use, processing, and effects of information, integrating various tactics, like propaganda dissemination, psychological operations, and media manipulation, campaigns shape perceptions, influence public opinion, and drive desired behavioral changes in target audiences.
Manheim’s analysis provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how policy advocates, social movements, insurgent groups, corporations, and governments use information and influence campaigns to achieve their goals. His work underscores the importance of strategic political communication in contemporary society and offers insights into the methods and strategies that make such campaigns effective.
