In this episode of Direct Edge, Wilson Zehr speaks with Shane Greer, CEO of Campaigns and Elections. Shane walks us through his lifelong passion for political consulting, from discovering the quarterly print journal founded in 1980 to acquiring and transforming it into a modern B2B media powerhouse.
He shares how Campaigns and Elections evolved from print to digital, embraced video and virtual events during COVID, and ultimately launched a paid membership model that kept industry professionals connected and informed when in-person gatherings paused. Throughout their conversation, Wilson and Shane dive into the core recipe for sustainable growth: continuous innovation fueled by customer feedback. They draw lessons from Dell’s direct-to-consumer playbook and highlight how trade shows have become “intelligence-gathering engines” rather than just lead-gen opportunities.
From running local bond campaigns with yard signs, mailers, social media and coffee-shop meetups, to comparing membership models to Costco’s “members versus customers” mindset, they underscore the power of owning the customer relationship and choosing the right channels for the right goals. Looking ahead, Shane reveals how Campaigns and Elections plans to leverage its true core competency, first-party market intelligence, to expand into adjacent industries.
By asking the right questions, finding the right audience and packaging insights in formats that resonate (whether live events, newsletters or video), he’s gearing up to replicate the success that’s driven C&E growth.
If you’re ready to rethink your own growth engine, tune in, and don’t forget to connect with Shane on LinkedIn for more ideas on sustaining competitive advantage.
Timestamps
1. Introduction & Guest Background – 00:00:00
2. Origin & Evolution of Campaigns & Elections Magazine – 00:01:59
3. Embracing Continuous Innovation & Customer Feedback – 00:05:04
4. Direct-to-Consumer Channel Benefits (Dell & Apple Examples) – 00:10:21
5. COVID’s Impact on Events & Pivot to a Membership Model – 00:32:45
Get in Touch with Shane!
Shane’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanegreer
Websites: https://campaignsandelections.com/, https://regstream.media/
Get in Touch with Wilson!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilsonzehr/
Website: https://www.zairmail.com/
Book a call: https://calendly.com/cendix
Email: [email protected]
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