News & views.
A collection of stories about data, public opinion and politics and news about our firm.
Bridging the Gap: Public Affairs and Business Goals
We offer this analogy in closing: think of public affairs work as a political campaign on behalf of a company or organization. The most effective public affairs professionals bring the urgency, rigor and focus of a campaign to your company’s issue. They convert data about the public into a coherent strategy and encourage the message discipline needed to achieve business goals. And they always put the client’s needs first.
Horse Race Polling: Resist the Sweet Treat
Our point here is that the most meaningful presidential polling has nothing to do with the horse race. The most meaningful polling involves efforts to understand the values underpinning voter attitudes and converting them into a coherent campaign strategy. Why? Because in contrast to preference for a candidate, people’s values are unlikely to change over the course of a campaign.
Directing Moneyball Public Affairs Campaigns
The public affairs industry is dominated by old-school consultants who base their counsel on gut instinct or trade on relationships. We have more data and computing power at our fingertips to inform smart decisions than ever before, yet the industry resists a Moneyball upgrade. It’s a confounding situation.
Moneyball Public Affairs
As once was the case in baseball, the public affairs industry is dominated by old-school consultants who base their counsel on gut instinct or trade on relationships. A recommendation that client engagements should be built on a foundation of data is often met with blank stares. “What could a poll tell us that we don’t already know about a client’s situation?” But without evidence, how do you know your advice is sound?