How We Won 5 Reed Awards by Powering Client Wins

From record-breaking fundraising to innovative GOTV strategies, here’s how our platform helped three clients turn bold ideas into real results.

We’re proud to share that we took home five 2025 Reed Awards from Austin last week. While we are no stranger to victory, our wins this year mean more than ever because we earned them with our clients - a striking reflection of how we operate: not just as a platform, but as partners in success.

These wins showcase just how powerful texting can be when used well, delivering jaw-dropping outcomes that moved the needle in some of the cycle’s most competitive races.

From defending a swing House seat in New York to raising $770,000 for a statewide ballot chase in Pennsylvania to flipping a school board race in Florida, each use case shows what’s possible when the right tools meet the right moment.

Here’s how it all came together.

1. Mike Lawler (NY CD-17) - Powered by Our Friends at Politicoin

🏆 Best Use of Technology for GOTV – Republican

The Challenge:

Congressman Mike Lawler faced one of the tightest re-election battles in the country. NY-17 had flipped red by fewer than 1,900 votes just two years earlier, and in 2024, well-funded outside groups poured hundreds of millions into the district to boost his opponent, Mondaire Jones, and attack Lawler. Outspending the opposition wasn’t  viable - so the campaign needed a targeted, cost-effective voter engagement strategy to win.

At the same time, the media landscape had become more fragmented than ever. Voters were scattered across countless platforms, where official campaign messages competed with user-generated content for attention. Every voter contact had to be strategic, personal, and well-timed to break through the noise in the final stretch.

The Solution:

Politicoin turned to peer-to-peer texting as the most effective way to bypass traditional media, eliminating information fragmentation to connect directly with voters. Using our platform, the campaign repurposed high-performing content from their successful Pennsylvania campaign and scaled it quickly into a strategic GOTV push in NY-17.

Over 50 uniquely tailored text messages were sent to 160,000 voters, ensuring each recipient received at least four personalized interactions. This multi-touchpoint approach helped build familiarity, reinforce campaign messaging, and drive turnout - all without relying on crowded or costly media channels.

Real Text Examples

How P2P Texting Turned the Tables:

Our platform made it possible to deploy a high-impact GOTV push at scale and high speeds, something that wouldn’t have been possible without the right technology behind it. Using our smart segmentation tool and behavioral data, Politicoin delivered targeted outreach that felt personal and timely at every stage of the campaign.

From our team to our tools, we go beyond support, handling TCR registration, solving issues fast, and monitoring traffic 7 days a week. Paired with our in-portal 10DLC application and direct Campaign Verify integration, we help campaigns stay compliant and win with confidence.

Additionally, features like AI Writing Assist, a full-featured CRM, real-time analytics, and flexible integrations empowered Politicoin to create, test, and deliver high-performing content right when it mattered most.

The End Result

Lawler not only held his seat - he won by 23,813 votes, a remarkable 1,208% increase over his previous margin. This campaign proved that a strategic texting program can overcome massive outside spending and deliver real voter engagement at scale.

The Pennsylvania Chase - Powered by Our Friends at Politicoin

🏆 Best Use of Mobile to Support a Field Program

🏆 Best Fundraising Text for State Legislative or Statewide -  Republican

🏆 Best Use of Mobile Technology

The Challenge:

In one of the most competitive and consequential states of the 2024 cycle, the stakes were sky-high, and the mission was critical: raise a record-breaking amount of funds exclusively through texting for The Pennsylvania Chase to sponsor ballot chasers across the state and secure Pennsylvania for President Trump.

Complicating matters further, donor fatigue, inflation, and underperformance across traditional outreach channels, like email, phone calls, and social media, meant the campaign needed a fresh, scalable way to both fundraise and mobilize support on the ground. The strategy had to work fast, adapt quickly, and deliver meaningful engagement.

The Solution:

Politicoin leveraged our platform as the central hub for both fundraising and field mobilization. In just five months, the campaign sent 236,785 texts with a 97.3% delivery rate, generating 7,536 replies and raising a remarkable $770,000 - all for a total spend of just $14,430, resulting in a 5,236% ROI.

These funds directly powered a statewide ballot chaser program that played a critical role in flipping key districts, including PA-8 and PA-7, and helping secure Pennsylvania for President Trump. The campaign’s messaging was carefully designed for adaptability - allowing top-performing content to be repurposed across multiple races and consistently outperform other formats.

Mobile messaging was the campaign’s central organizing tool - coordinating events, boosting turnout, and keeping supporters engaged in real-time. From informative MMS messages to concise, stat-driven appeals, Politicoin’s approach reflected the best of modern campaign communication.

Below is an example of the top-performing fundraising text Politicoin’s team identified their “cash cow” message through A/B testing, which consistently drove donations across multiple projects.

Real Text Example

How P2P Texting Turned the Tide:

Our platform gave Politicoin everything they needed to execute a high-impact, mobile-first strategy at scale. With AI writing assistance, real-time analytics, advanced CRM segmentation, and A/B testing tools, the team could continuously refine their outreach and quickly identify and amplify top-performing content - like their highest-grossing fundraising message, which became a repeatable success story across other campaigns.

The End Result

The success of this campaign had far-reaching implications. The funds raised mobilized ballot chasers that helped flip Pennsylvania for Trump, delivered victories in PA-8 and PA-7, and secured the Republican majority in the House. This campaign didn’t just prove that peer-to-peer texting works - it showed that when combined with the right strategy and technology, it can shape the outcome of elections at every level of government.

Cindy Pearson for School Board (Duval County, FL) - With the Talented Teams at Topside Strategies & Direct One

🏆 Best Use of Technology to Support a Direct Mail Program

The Challenge:

Cindy Pearson faced a high-stakes re-election battle for her Duval County School Board seat. She was targeted by the state’s highest officials and was outspent 3-to-1 by outside groups supporting her opponent. To overcome these odds, the campaign needed a cost-effective, data-driven strategy to target, engage, and persuade voters, especially early voters, before Election Day.

The Solution:

That’s where innovation came in. 

Topside Strategies and Direct One partnered with us to execute a first-of-its-kind absentee ballot chase program that combined automated direct mail with peer-to-peer texting.

Using USPS delivery scans, the team sent texts two days after each wave of mail hit voters’ homes - ensuring the message was reinforced at just the right moment. Voters who didn’t respond received a second round of mail and texts two weeks later, keeping the campaign top-of-mind throughout the vote-by-mail period.

This fully coordinated approach targeted a universe of 11,977 voters, with a total of 8,359 texts sent after landline filtering. Every touchpoint was strategically timed to prompt ballot returns and increase engagement, creating a layered outreach effort far more dynamic than direct mail alone.

How P2P Texting Flipped the Script:

Our platform made this powerful integration possible. By combining delivery scan-based automations, real-time list segmentation, and intuitive message scheduling, Topside Strategies and Direct One built a seamless workflow that kept every step in sync.

A transparent, user-friendly dashboard gave both teams real-time visibility into each project and alerts for any issues, ensuring nothing slipped through the cracks. This level of oversight made it easy to track performance, measure impact, and make adjustments as needed.

Flexible API and integration options supported custom connections tailored to the campaign’s unique needs. Whether running a first-time texting effort or managing a complex, data-driven program, the platform delivered the ideal balance of simplicity and advanced functionality.

The End Result:

This integrated strategy paid off. Cindy Pearson won the vote-by-mail count by 852 votes, which helped her overcome a 493-vote loss on Election Day, securing a 441-vote victory overall (2.66%). With a texting cost of just $594.48, this campaign proved that innovation, timing, and the right technology can make all the difference, even in the most high-pressure local races.

The Bottom Line 

These five Reed Awards reflect more than innovation; they represent real triumphs made possible by smart strategy, strong partnerships, and the right technology.

Peer-to-peer texting has proven time and time again to be a game-changer - enabling campaigns and organizations of all sizes to mobilize supporters and drive meaningful results through targeted, impactful communication. These success stories highlight just how effective P2P can be when used with purpose and precision.

We’re grateful for the trust, collaboration, and creativity that made these wins possible.

Let’s keep raising the bar - together.