Competitive Edge Research & Communication

Political Campaigns

One pillar of American democracy is the political campaign. Running for office or supporting or opposing a ballot measure are types of campaigns. Here’s how Competitive Edge helps clients win with superior research and communication:

• Viability and Vulnerability polls
• Benchmark Polling
• Brushfire polling
• Tracking Surveys
• Focus Groups
• Live Identification Calls
• Live Advocacy Calls
• Hybrid Live/Automated Identification/Advocacy Calls
• Live GOTV Calls
• Vote-by-Mail Follow-up Calls

Viability and Vulnerability polls

Should you run? That depends on whether you have a good chance of winning and whether your opponent is beatable. A viability poll will tell you and your consultant what your chances of victory are and a vulnerability poll will determine whether your opponent (usually an incumbent) has exploitable flaws. These polls must be conducted before your hat is thrown into the ring. The viability and vulnerability objectives can often be combined into one survey. Usually we ask from 5 to 20 questions to meet these objectives. Note that these polls – when positive — can be extremely effective as fundraising tools. Sample sizes range from 300 to 1,000 likely voters.

Benchmark Polling

Driving to Washington DC? You better have an accurate and current roadmap. Benchmark polling is conducted at the outset of a campaign and the analyzed results will assist your consultant in developing a campaign strategy. Issues are tested for their importance, candidates are tested for their appeal, messages are tested for their ability to persuade and demographics are measured to develop a complete picture of the electorate. A benchmark survey must go beyond far the horserace numbers and allow you to discern why public opinion is the way it is. Only when you know the reasons why the electorate is supporting or opposing your candidacy or measure can you begin to work to change opinions. Competitive Edge handles all aspects of the research process which include: questionnaire design; sample acquisition; data collection, tabulation, and crosstabulation; statistical analysis and reporting of the findings and presentation. Our analysis goes beyond the more typical review of crosstabulations to utilize linear and logistic regression, factor analysis and ANOVA procedures on our data to provide superior campaign strategy to our clients. Benchmark polls usually contain 20 to 50 questions (usually incorporating one to four open-end questions) with sample sizes ranging from 400 to 1,500 likely voters.

Brushfire Polling

You can count on bad weather or a detour at some point along the journey, which means you should be prepared to make course corrections. Brushfire polls are conducted once the campaign is underway. They test whether the campaign is on course, whether either side’s messages are affecting opinions and what new issues have cropped up. Brushfires are typically shorter than benchmarks, containing 10 to 30 questions and sample sizes range from 300 to 500 likely voters.

Tracking Surveys

Things usually get heated in competitive campaigns. At those times it is critical to rely on sound information to make your decisions – not donors, reporters, your family, or even your own instincts. Tracking polls are a series of small sample polls to show the campaign’s progress over time. They are typically conducted within the last month of an election to give the campaign team a moving picture of what is truly happening. Very short, their main purposes are to predict electoral outcomes based on the current situation and give the campaign information on which to base modifications. Sample sizes are typically limited to 100 per day, with the 3-day rolling average reported. Questionnaires are usually less than 10 questions in length.

Focus Groups

Focus groups explore the “qualitative” aspects of a campaign (the fuzzy stuff that does not at first lend itself to rigorous survey testing).  Expertly done groups can delve into complex issues, fine-tune messages and explore unexpected outcomes, such as defeats of ballot measures that may need to be re-presented to voters.  You will usually conduct the groups early in your campaign – after the viability/vulnerability poll and before the benchmark poll — to develop a better picture of what to ask in the campaign’s benchmark poll.  Running your focus groups before fielding a benchmark survey will allow your campaign to develop and hone its potential messages and “lingo” before subjecting it to survey testing.  Groups can also be employed very effectively after the benchmark is conducted when it is apparent that the campaign needs to deal with one or two critical sub-segments of the electorate.  As an example, the benchmark poll confirms that your campaign is winning among older voters, losing hopelessly among younger voters and the battleground is 35 to 55 year-olds.  In addition, the research shows that your current messages do not resonate well with middle-aged voters.  We would recommend conducting groups among only this subset of the electorate in order to find new and better ways to communicate with that segment.  Eight to twelve respondents are recruited to take part in each group and a minimum of two groups is usually necessary.  CERC handles all aspects including recruitment, moderator preparation and discussion guide, moderating, facilities, audio/video, refreshments, transcription, and follow-up.

Live Identification Calls

These calls are generally during the early or middle part of a candidate’s ground campaign. Designed mainly to identify supporters, opponents and persuadable voters, ID calls can also incorporate a persuasion element to voters who are unsure of whom to support. Mail pieces, yard signs, volunteers can be spun off the identification calls. Usual script length: two to five questions long or about 40 seconds to 1.5 minutes. Volume: minimum 1,000 to 100,000. Expected list quality: anything less than 75% good numbers is a “bad” list.

Live Advocacy Calls

These can be done cold, but advocating is usually more effective when communicating with undecided voters after an identification program. This is your opportunity to get your personal, handcrafted message out to the voters – and only to the voters you want to reach. The call often ends with another ID question to cage new supporters. Usual script length: One or two questions and about 30 seconds to one minute long. Volume: 500 to 100,000. Expected list quality: Should be 95% good if going back to pre-screened voters.

Hybrid Live/Automated Identification/Advocacy Calls

The hybrid call has become the most effective way to communicate a consistent message directly to the electorate. We initially identify whether the voter is supports our candidate, supports the opponent or is undecided. As above, supporters can be urged to vote, vote-by mail, attend a coffee, put up a yard sign or take another supportive action. Undecided voters then hear a pre-recorded message from the candidate or other campaign surrogate. The call can be ended after the message is delivered or the voter can be returned to the live interviewer to gather more information. Depending on the objectives of the campaign, those who are supporting another candidate may be also be given a live or pre-recorded message. These calls are substantially less expensive than the live calls because much of the call is automated.

Live GOTV Calls

Supporters and, sometimes, undecided voters receive Get-out-the-Vote calls one to five days before the election. This is what you have been doing all the ID and advocacy calls for. Usually, the message simply urges voters to go to the polls and cast a ballot for the candidate. Usual script length: 12 to 36 seconds. Volume: 500 to 100,000. List quality should be excellent.

Vote-by-Mail Follow-up Calls

Done when voting-by-mail or early voting is in effect, this is a great way to bank votes by introducing your supporters to the convenience of voting from the privacy of their own home. Voting by mail is rising in popularity as more Americans come to favor it over the ballot box. These calls can also be used to alert the voter that early voting has started. Usual script length: 30 seconds to 1 minute. Volume: 500 to 100,000. Expected list quality is excellent if done after the ID or advocacy phase.