Data & Research

Political advertising often relies on data and research to target specific groups of voters and to tailor messages to them. This can include demographic data, such as age, gender, and income, as well as data on voters’ political preferences and attitudes towards specific issues.

Political campaigns may also conduct their own research, such as surveys and focus groups, to gather more information about the attitudes and opinions of voters. This research can help campaigns craft more effective messages and target their advertising efforts more effectively.

Overall, data and research play a critical role in political advertising by helping campaigns understand their target audience and craft messages that are more likely to resonate with voters.

Data and research are important in political advertising for several reasons:

• Targeting: Political campaigns use data to understand the demographics, political preferences, and attitudes of potential voters. This information can be used to target specific groups of voters with advertising that is most likely to resonate with them. For example, a campaign may target younger voters with ads that emphasize social media and digital outreach, while targeting older voters with more traditional forms of advertising, such as television commercials.
• Message development: Political campaigns use research to gain insight into the attitudes and opinions of voters on a range of issues. This information can be used to develop messages that are more likely to resonate with voters and to position a candidate or political party in a favorable light. For example, a campaign may conduct research to determine which issues are most important to voters in a particular region, and then craft messages that emphasize their candidate’s positions on those issues.
• Message testing: Political campaigns may also use research to test the effectiveness of different messages and ad formats. For example, a campaign may conduct focus groups or surveys to test different versions of an ad to determine which one is most effective in communicating the campaign’s message and persuading voters.
• Cost-effectiveness: By using data and research to target specific groups of voters and to craft effective messages, political campaigns can be more cost-effective in their advertising efforts. They can avoid spending money on advertising that is unlikely to be effective and instead focus their resources on advertising that is most likely to influence voters.

Overall, data and research are critical components of political advertising, as they help campaigns understand their target audience and craft messages that are more likely to resonate with voters.

Polling is an important tool for political candidates, as it provides valuable information about the state of a campaign and the views of voters. Polling can help a candidate:

• Gauge support: Polling can provide a snapshot of a candidate’s level of support among voters, which can help the campaign determine where to focus their resources.
• Identify strengths and weaknesses: Polling can help a candidate identify their strengths and weaknesses, such as which issues are resonating with voters and which are not.
• Understand the competition: Polling can also provide information about other candidates, including their level of support and which issues are important to their voters.
• Measure progress: By conducting polls at regular intervals, a candidate can measure their progress over time and make adjustments to their campaign strategy as needed.
• Mobilize supporters: Polling can also help a candidate mobilize their supporters by showing them that they have a real chance of winning.

Overall, polling is a valuable tool for political candidates as it provides them with valuable information to make informed decisions and improve their chances of winning.

Data modeling is the process of creating a conceptual representation of data and the relationships between data elements. It involves defining data structures, such as entities and attributes, and defining the relationships between these structures. The goal of data modeling is to create a model that accurately represents the data and its relationships, and can be used as a blueprint for a database or other information system.

There are several types of data models, including conceptual, logical, and physical models. Conceptual models provide a high-level view of the data and its relationships, while logical models provide a detailed representation of the data and its relationships. Physical models define the specific implementation details of the database or information system.

Data modeling is an important step in the process of designing and building a database or information system, as it helps ensure that the system is efficient, scalable, and meets the needs of the users. The data model provides a foundation for the design of the database schema, and is used to guide the implementation of the database. It also helps to ensure the consistency and integrity of the data stored in the system.

Opposition research is an important aspect of a political campaign because it helps the campaign understand its competition and develop a strategy to win the election. The goal of opposition research is to gather information about the other candidates, their positions, and their strengths and weaknesses. This information can then be used to:

• Identify vulnerabilities: Opposition research can help the campaign identify areas where the other candidates are vulnerable, such as past statements or actions that may be controversial.
• Craft a message: By understanding the other candidates, the campaign can craft a message that differentiates itself and highlights its strengths.
• Prepare for debates: Opposition research can help the campaign prepare for debates by familiarizing them with the other candidates’ positions and likely arguments.
• Develop a strategy: The information gathered through opposition research can be used to develop a strategic plan for the campaign, including identifying which issues to focus on and which voters to target.
• Respond to attacks: Opposition research can also help the campaign respond to attacks by the other candidates, as they will be better prepared with information about the other candidates’ positions and vulnerabilities.

Overall, opposition research is an important aspect of a political campaign because it provides valuable information that can be used to improve the campaign’s strategy and increase its chances of winning.

Chris Ekstrom was running for a congressional seat in Texas.  After weeks of being attacked for being a wealthy carpetbagger, Ekstrom’s polling revealed that he was well behind the front runner, barely making third place. 

He called us to fix the problem, hiring us as General Consultant 5 days before the primary. 

We knew that we had to inoculate the attack, going negative as quickly as possible to create “a pox on both our houses”.

That night we created a hard-hitting digital ad, putting it all on the line, and had it on the air the next morning. Ekstrom’s opponent Ronny Jackson was accused of handing out prescription drugs to anyone who needed them during his role as a doctor in the Obama administration. In response, we created the candyman ad. The digital ad was so effective that his opponent called our firm after election day explaining how terrified he was when he saw the ad and complimenting its quality. The goal was to move numbers as quickly as possible in Chris Ekstrom’s favor.  And we did. 

Chris Ekstrom said, “In what would have taken most consulting firms a week to produce a quality ad and opposition research, only took the McShane team 24 hours. I am really impressed with the work they did in such a short period of time.”

Chris Ekstrom’s previous consultant rejected the opportunity to engage in an aggressive offensive against the opponent, so with five days to go, slipping further every day, we had to do the opposition research, write, produce and place the ad over the course of 24 hours to get it out on time. Most firms could not have produced an ad and have it placed on such short notice, but we managed to create the ad and get it placed in time for the attack on Ronny Jackson. It’s rare in politics to have your opponent call you to tell you how effective you were, but in our case, that’s precisely what happened. The level of creativity and quality devoted to the creation of this ad, in such a short timeframe, shows the effort we will go to for any client. This ad is an excellent example showing the lengths our team will extend ourselves to garner success for our clients.