An Interview with Kateryna Odarchenko, Author of The Election Game and International Political Consultant
Kateryna Odarchenko is a globally recognized political strategist, founder of SIC Group USA and the Institute for Democracy and Development “PolitA.” She is an expert in election strategy, government relations (GR), crisis PR, and international communications. Her experience includes managing dozens of successful campaigns across Ukraine, the United States, Israel, and Africa.
Her book, The Election Game, has become a practical manual for candidates, business leaders with political ambitions, and managers of public processes in challenging political environments.
Your book reads like a strategy manual for elites. Was that intentional?
Yes. This book is a valuable resource for those who work with risk, resources, and responsibility — including candidates, campaign donors, and trusted advisors. One reader — the former head of a major business association — told me: “This isn’t just a book about elections. It’s a guide to staying alive and honorable in the fight for power.”
It’s full of specifics. Are these basic tactics or advanced strategies?
It’s definitely a second-level toolkit. For example, we describe how to build a campaign team based on functional roles, not friendships. Or how to engage female voters using cultural codes, not empty slogans.
One candidate in Israel structured his entire campaign around family-oriented cultural events, with almost no direct politics. In the end, he saw the highest increase in loyalty among youth and women over 40. That’s neuropolitics — working with emotions and meaning.
When does a client realize they need more than a consultant — they need a team?
When the stakes are high. When they need real results, not just a simulation of a campaign.
Recently, we worked with a candidate from North Africa who wanted to evolve from a “local businessman” image to a global thought leader. We ran closed-door strategic sessions, developed a visual communications plan tailored to Western audiences, launched English-language media campaigns, and secured him speaking slots at two international economic forums.
This is not the work of one person — it takes a team: political strategists, media managers, and GR architects.
You write a lot about reputation. How do you manage it during attacks or instability?
Reputation isn’t what people say about you — it’s what they say for you when you’re under attack.
We use a multi-layered protection strategy:
- Pre-identified ambassadors and surrogates
- A ready legal team
- A backup media plan
- Public statements through third-party voices (such as respected figures in industry or religious communities)
In one high-profile case, we neutralized a media smear campaign by building an alternative narrative in just 10 days — featuring business media, professional circles, and external speakers. Within a month, the reputational crisis was fully resolved.
“Which chapters in your book are essential reading?”
Definitely:
- The chapter on campaign team structure
- Crisis response strategies
- “Antivirus messaging” during disinformation attacks
- Visual campaigns in times of public fatigue
“Your main message?”
Elections are not chaos — they’re power engineering.
If you don’t have a plan, you’re part of someone else’s.
If you want to win, you don’t just need a consultant — you need a strategic architect.
That’s exactly what we do.
About the Book and Services
The Election Game is available on Amazon, the SIC Group USA website, and directly via this link.
For private consultations, campaign planning, GR initiatives, and political support:
🌐 www.sic-group.us
📩 info@sic-group.us
📍 Washington, D.C. | Kyiv | Tel Aviv
Kateryna Odarchenko
International Political Consultant
Expert in Election Strategy, GR, Crisis Communications, and Reputation Defense