Julius van de Laar - Biography
Julius van de Laar is a leading expert on U.S. politics, economics, and communication. As a campaign and strategy consultant with international experience, he has firsthand knowledge of the mechanisms of successful political communication.
After studying political science and communication in the United States, Julius van de Laar worked as a full-time campaign staffer for Barack Obama during the 2008 and 2012 U.S. presidential campaigns. Following Obama’s first election victory, he applied his experience as an external consultant to German and European election campaigns.
Today, Julius van de Laar advises politicians, business leaders, and NGOs on developing effective strategies to achieve their goals—from election victories and economic growth to shaping public opinion. He also gives lectures and leads workshops on strategic communication and political storytelling.
He regularly analyzes and comments on current political developments and election campaigns in leading media outlets and talk shows. He also hosts his own podcast, “Race to the White House,” on The Pioneer.
The business magazine Capital ranks Julius van de Laar among the “Top 40 Under 40” in the fields of politics and business.
Julius van de Laar speaking topics
- Inside the Campaign: Learning to Win from the Winners
The battle for attention and trust: What companies can learn from politics and campaigning. Which strategies and measures lead to success and can be transferred to business?
- The Race to the White House: From tactics to triumph
Those who have not yet found their story or cannot tell it lose the debate. How do you stand out in the public arena, define your own agenda, and position yourself correctly as the sender of the message? Which strategies – online as well as offline, lead to success? International campaign and strategy consultant Julius van de Laar provides a peek through the keyhole into the engine room of power, showing how campaign teams work, what messages mobilize and how they are developed. He also sheds light on what companies and startups can learn from political communications and why marketing and election campaigns have more in common than most think.
- Message Matters: The battle for interpretive sovereignty
Every campaign is a race for definition: through which lens does the public view the central sociopolitical issues of our time?
- Storytelling: Authentic messages that mobilize
How can complex content be communicated in an understandable, emotional and authentic way? How do you mobilize people? How do you gain interpretive authority and steer public debate?
Experience how international campaigns are orchestrated behind the scenes, which strategies lead to success and which measures make the tactical difference. Individual topics and content for your target group and event – Depending on which target group you want to reach, which topics are in focus for you and which type of event you are planning: Each presentation is individually coordinated with you and adapted to your needs.
STAND FOR SOMETHING: No mobilization without polarization!
Storytelling with Julius van de Laar: Why brands and companies should position themselves in the social de
Nike is leading the way: By featuring former football player Colin Kaepernick as a brand ambassador, the sports apparel company is taking a clear stand, making a powerful statement, and sparking controversy. The controversial quarterback had taken a stand against police brutality and racial inequality by taking a knee during the U.S. national anthem, thereby drawing the ire not only of the NFL but also of Donald Trump. Nike, however, recognized the potential of taking a clear stance in the public discourse and thereby sharpened its own profile.
The company and its marketing efforts are an example of how a clear stance, combined with effective storytelling, can contribute to a campaign’s success. But how do such strategies work? What mechanisms shape public debates, and what lessons can companies across a wide range of industries learn from them? And what responsibilities come with taking a stand and consciously setting oneself apart from the mainstream?
Campaign strategist and TEDx speaker Julius van de Laar illustrates these connections using vivid examples and highlights new approaches to communication that enable brands not only to operate successfully but also to help shape societal developments.
Today, he supports political organizations, NGOs, and companies in developing and implementing campaigns. His work focuses on strategic and integrated communication, positioning, message development, and storytelling, as well as mobilization and campaign management.
Julius van de Laar regularly comments on and analyzes current political events for leading media outlets such as ARD, ZDF, NTV, WELT, Der Spiegel, FAZ, and Deutschlandfunk.
In addition, he leads seminars, workshops, and lectures on topics such as election campaign strategy, digital campaigning, storytelling, and political communication. As a guest lecturer, he also gives guest lectures at the Hertie School of Governance, Harvard University, the University of Oxford, and Quadriga University of Applied Sciences in Berlin.