Posts Featuring Matt
Cygnal Saw the Future of Polling First…FiveThirtyEight Agrees
Cygnal was the only Republican pollster with absolutely no races with an error outside the margin of error. We also predicted the correct winner in 95% of our pre-election polls.
Read MoreSurvey Research [Polling] Wins Championships (and Elections)
We have officially passed the halfway mark in 2018 midterm primary season. As campaigns in 30 states move their focus to the general election, strategies must change as well. Every campaign’s strategy has three core components: money, media, and message. While all three components are intertwined, the third component – messaging – undergoes the greatest change. While […]
Read MoreALSen Polling Wasn’t All Wrong; How We Did It Differently
Election Day in Alabama has passed. Thank GOODNESS! The yard signs are disappearing; the headlines (believe it or not) are fading; and Roy Moore’s horse, Sassy, is back in the barn. Republican strategists are left to make sense of the chaos and explain how things went so horribly wrong on December 12th – or really […]
Read MoreCygnal Strikes Again: Correctly Predicts Moore-Strange US Senate Duel
It seems like only yesterday the politicos and public were saying: “There’s no way he can win.” They said, “His opponent has an enormous ‘war chest,’ he plays fast and loose with the rules, and he’s too much of an outsider.” And just like our President, Roy Moore rode in on his populist horse to […]
Read MoreHow to Avoid Unrealistic Budget Expectations
Building a winning campaign infrastructure is like painting a masterpiece. In the same way artists have to use contrast, focus, light, and movement, consultants must assemble a cohesive team of vendors and staff that can work to make their vision come to life. The issue is that most candidates want Van-Gogh results on a high-school-art-competition […]
Read MoreCygnal Announces New Hire, New Roles
Cygnal, a national polling, digital, and communication firm, announced the addition of Chris Kratzer as the firm’s new vice president of polling and communication Monday. Additionally, Cygnal’s senior vice president of services, Cory Brown, announced his transition to an advisory role as he moves to lead custom research at a market research firm. Kratzer comes […]
Read MoreHow Campaigns Can Spot Bad Polling Numbers
Choices. Life is full of them. One that we currently face in our industry is whether we can trust polling numbers that may come our way. It could be a breaking story citing numbers from a recently-released poll in a race you’re working on. Another time, maybe it’s a poll you get your hands on […]
Read MoreWork Hack: Want to be Smarter in Your Campaign? Use Polling.
I vividly remember the first time I heard the phrase, “Work Smarter. Not Harder.” It was an extremely hot summer day on the obstacle course at Ft. Knox, Kentucky. There was sweat pouring from my body as I bent over with my hands on my knees along with the other members of my squad. A […]
Read MoreThe Benefits of Survey Research for Political & Issue Campaigns
The proliferation of tech and how it can solve problems is a big deal right now and it should be. From platforms that hold vast amounts of data points to solutions that can model engagement and link Facebook to your target audience, there are many options out there to increase engagement rates, bring more of […]
Read MoreTips for Consumers of Political Polling
It’s been no secret that polling is under fire. Heck, I’ve written about the topic a handful of times myself. Several peers have written in depth articles defending what we do. Still, the story continues to be debated in the public square. Clients still have questions that let me know they are concerned about today’s […]
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