When campaigns crash: ECI crisis tactics that work

When things fall apart, your plan shouldn’t

Could you imagine your campaign co-ordinator suddenly quitting—right in the middle of your most important outreach push? You’re halfway to the one million signatures, and suddenly the person holding it all together vanishes. What now? Welcome to the reality of running a European citizens' initiative. 

To reflect on the various types of critical challenges in a campaign, organisers from various ECIs met on 8 April, 2025 during the ECI Network Gathering at the European Commission in Brussels. Through simulation exercises and real-world examples, they explored how campaigns can withstand crises and turn setbacks into opportunities. One thing became clear: no matter how airtight your strategy may seem, the unexpected can still happen. The strength of a campaign isn’t just in its vision, but in how it handles pressure when the plan goes sideways.

• Read about the wider context of the event

I Quit!

It’s 9:00 on a Tuesday. You open your inbox to find your communications lead is stepping down. No warning. You’re not just losing a colleague—you’re losing their skills and future contributions.

Your first move isn’t panic—it’s pause. Gather the team. Reassign tasks in bite-sized chunks. For example, you may already have volunteers assisting with content creation, social media scheduling, or graphic design. This is their time to step up—temporarily or permanently. Delegate tasks according to strengths and set up short weekly check-ins to keep momentum going. You might also consider redistributing the lead responsibilities between two team members until a new co-ordinator is found.

The "My Voice, My Choice" initiative discussed how pre-emptively having backup plans for key roles can make all the difference—keeping campaigns agile even when personnel changes strike.

Fifteen Minutes of Fate

Suddenly, your campaign is trending everywhere. Great! Or… not? A celebrity with millions of followers has just endorsed your ECI. But there’s a problem: they’re controversial. Some supporters cheer. Others threaten to walk away.

This is a fork in the road. First, assess the situation. Does this endorsement align with your values? If it’s damaging, distance yourself publicly. If not, lean in and clarify your position. Either way, put your message front and centre, and make sure it doesn’t get buried beneath the noise. “Ban on conversion practices in the European Union” ECI shared how they once prevented backlash after unknowingly collaborating with a controversial figure by quickly ending the cooperation. Also, when handled carefully, even unwanted attention can become useful—there really can be "no such thing as bad publicity."

• One million signatures in ten days: how the ECI Ban on conversion practices did it

Politican't

You wake up to your campaign trending—for all the wrong reasons. A politician has attacked your initiative on live television. The clip is viral. The comments are brutal. Could this spiral into a meme?

You have two choices: defend or deflect. The smartest move? Strategise. Find a political ally willing to publicly back your ECI. Craft a counter-narrative. Campaigners in the workshop described how they navigated criticism by trying to find visible defenders to argue on their behalf and using social media influencers to shift public narratives, rather than engaging directly in negative debates.

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You get “404 – Not Found”

It’s the day of your big online launch. You’ve spent weeks promoting a live action, a digital blitz to rally signatures. And just when people start clicking—your website crashes.

Don’t vanish. Mobilise people to your social channels instead. Post a quick video update. Redirect supporters to alternative platforms. Use your email list. Honesty, not perfection, is what people expect.

The "Food is a human right for all" campaign shared how building diversified communication channels—not relying solely on a website—helped them withstand technical problems without losing momentum.

Nice Echo in This Room

You booked a hall, invited speakers, and arranged catering. Then—the venue cancels. Or a train strike empties your audience. Whatever the reason, your 200-person event is now a zero-person event.

Or is it?

Move the session online. Host a webinar or live Q&A. Offer downloadable resources. For many campaigns, like “My Voice My Choice”, shifting training events to Zoom sessions kept engagement high while cutting costs dramatically—sometimes online works better than the offline.

Is There Anybody Out There?

Your social media numbers are tanking. Engagement has dropped by half.

Time for a creative reset. Break the formula. Tell a raw story. Ask a bold question. Share a behind-the-scenes moment. Let team members post in their own voices. Use the platforms they already use in their private lives: Instagram, TikTok, Reddit.

“HouseEurope!” explained how encouraging varied, authentic posts across different platforms led to an explosive increase in engagement—their LinkedIn traffic rose by 350% simply because every team member began posting freely.

Surprise!

Sudden events aren’t always bad. Sometimes, they’re opportunities. Suddenly, you have 100 volunteers across Europe eager to help. Or a donation lands that could double your budget.

Now what?

Map your resources fast. Where are the volunteers? What languages do they speak? Who can co-ordinate them? One idea is to create microtasks—one hour per week—for each volunteer: research multipliers in their country, translate posts, tag influencers, or spread campaign material. Make them feel needed, not overwhelmed.

“Stop Destroying Videogames ECI” described how they aim to manage thousands of volunteers by using platforms like Discord and giving small, clear tasks to keep engagement manageable and productive.

And for the unexpected donation? ‘HouseEurope!’ stressed the importance of setting clear priorities: focusing resources where the impact would be greatest, whether by boosting weak national chapters or upgrading online campaigning.

There is No Virtue Like Necessity

No campaign avoids setbacks. But the real crisis is failing to prepare for them.

Build backups for your team. Draft templates for your messages. Know who you’ll call when something breaks—whether tech, press, or campaign management.

Because the truth is: crises will come. What matters is how you respond. And it is sometimes possible to turn a crisis into an opportunity.

About the author:

Veli-Valtteri Lehtonen is the European programme intern at Democracy International and the Lead co-ordinator for the Student network on future democracy. He has experience in planning and organising international democracy-related events and co-ordinating collaborative projects. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in political science at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland.