The first 4 things: All About Your Audience<\/p>\n
This is the first of two posts.<\/p>\n
Richard Kirsch, Director
\nOur Story \u2013 The Hub for American Narratives<\/p>\n
Polling and other public opinion research is often the go-to tool for guiding messages and communication in issue campaigns. But polls are often misused and the message advice from pollsters can easily do disservice to winning campaigns and to advancing progressive values and core beliefs.
\nHere are 10 big cautions you should be aware of in using polling to inform messages for issue campaigns.<\/p>\n
1 – Just because a message polls the highest doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s the best message
\nThe first thing to understand is that just because a message polls higher than other messages, that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s the strongest campaign message. The first question to ask is: who the message poll well with? The second is whether the differences between messages are statistically significant?<\/p>\n
2 – Who\u2019s the audience? Mobilize the mobilizables.
\nUnlike elections, issue campaigns are not won by majorities. Issue campaigns are won by constituents organized to put enough pressure on legislators that they will do what the constituents want. Your message first and foremost must motivate activists to take action, including grassroots lobbying, social media activism and joining in rallies and protests.
\nWhat this means is that polls should identify and report on your base – people who share your values on this issue and other issues. You\u2019ll want to choose messages that do well with base voters.<\/p>\n
3 \u2013 Who\u2019s the audience? Persuade the persuadables.
\nTo build more support for an issue, we need to persuade the persuadables. It\u2019s also important to remember that the way we make long term change is by moving more people in the middle towards our values and worldview.
\nPolls should identify and report separately on people who are not firmly in your base and those who also are not firmly in the \u201copposition.\u201d The messages you want will score well with base and persuadables.<\/p>\n
4 \u2013 Who\u2019s the audience? Alienating the opposition.
\nOne reason that some questions poll higher is that by including progressive and conservative values in a message, more people agree. But that may not actually be helpful to winning and can be self-defeating over time.
\nHere are the problems with using a message that picks up support from the opposition:
\n\u2022 It usually comes at a cost of support from the people you most care about, the base.
\n\u2022 It confuses the middle. Our goal over time is to move the middle, by reinforcing the strength of progressive ideas. We can\u2019t do that if we repeat conservative messages.
\n\u2022 The opposition may agree with the message but that doesn\u2019t mean they will actually change their issue position. For example, strong conservatives will agree that there is too much money in politics but they still will not support public financing of elections; that contradicts their core beliefs on government and taxation.
\nIt\u2019s often surprising what will alienate the opposition. For example, Lake Research Partners, working with Anat Shenker Osorio, found that the opposition actually reacts negatively to the statement, \u201cEvery working parent should get paid enough to care for their kids and set them off toward \u2028a great future.\u201d That\u2019s a perfect example of a powerful message that will appeal to the base and middle and alienate the opposition.
\nIt is possible for strong messages to be supported by the opposition \u2013 particularly if they don\u2019t violate rule 10 below. But don\u2019t ever reject a message that does well with the base and swing because it scores poorly with opponents. That\u2019s usually a sign it\u2019s a good message for you.
\nFor more on understanding the theory of change behind polling audiences read this great blog post \u201cPlease All and You\u2019ll Please None\u201d by Anat Shenker Osorio and Celinda Lake.<\/p>\n
If you would like help navigating your work with pollsters, please let me know.<\/p>\n
Go to the second post to read points 5-10 for lots more on why the messages that test the highest are not always the best.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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