3 Reasons Cygnal’s “Flash Polling” Survey Research Makes Sense for Campaigns

Polls are like road maps, albeit only snapshots of the current surroundings. But they serve as a valuable tool to make informed decisions for strategy and messaging.

A few years ago our team realized that a need existed to have actionable intelligence from the likely electorate. Sure you could get this from a robust canvassing or phone banking operation, but our clients didn’t always have the volunteer base to make that a reality. We had two options, drop money we didn’t have for a traditional poll, or spend a little for an auto-dialer to collect questionable results. One we couldn’t afford, and the other we didn’t trust. So, we created a brand new innovation to solve the problem.

We spent a great deal of time developing the right process to produce the results needed for our clients. We tested it, refined it, and tested it again until our solution was accurate and cost-effective. Time and time again, we were on target – from state house district campaigns to statewide ballot initiatives and everything in between. The end result is something we call “Flash Polls,” which can be conducted via IVR or live calls.

So what makes a Flash Poll different than other survey research options out there?

Affordable

This was our driving factor. Flash Polls had to be less expensive than traditional brush fire polling while still being as accurate. In the campaigns we traditionally run, it is important to maximize dollars while still having a polling solution that does not take away from media, mail, voter outreach, or digital. If we could provide intelligence in an affordable way, then we had the value-add needed.

At under $3,000, a Flash Poll is within reach for every campaign as a brush fire or tracking option. Having a reliable poll will then help you hone in the rest of the budget – television, digital, mail, etc.

Accurate

You’re probably thinking that all IVR polls are garbage, and you’d be mostly correct since almost every other option is statistically and methodologically inaccurate. While many others use fire-and-forget methods, our polls target the right universe of voters from the start. We then apply techniques that produce statistically sound results in the end.

We start by building the right target universe, and then collect responses from specific voters to meet the desired sample quotas. Sound statistical techniques are applied to ensure that respondents who answer are those we intended to call. The result is a Flash Poll that has a very large, yet accurate sample size.

Actionable

Everything in campaigns should have a measurable return on investment. Resources in most races are finite, and winning requires stretching the budget to the breaking point. Working from the voter files makes Flash Polls actionable, because you can use the intelligence gained from our surveys in many ways and often supplement other phases of the campaign. Your Flash Poll will come with comprehensive toplines, crosstabs, and a strategy memo.

If you find yourself feeling like we did – you need an intelligence solution that is affordable, accurate and actionable – try a Flash Poll. Like all our clients have been, we know that you’ll be satisfied with the result.

For more information about Cygnal’s Flash Polling solution, email me.