SERVICES

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." At Hickman Analytics we use decades of election results to examine the development and effects of electoral trends over time. Using state of the art mapping capabilities, we employ targeted trend data to track population trends, establish a baseline for electoral success, and identify areas where Democrats have historically underperformed. Our electoral trend models help us target valuable campaign resources to win in historically difficult districts.

Hickman Analytics Inc.’s commitment to our clients does not end with the completion of our research - we provide the most in-depth and useful blending of results and experience in the industry. We can:

Conduct research on both the client and the opposition
Aid in the preparation for major speeches and debates
Work with other consultants to develop and implement communications strategies
Provide assistance with fundraising appeals
Assist with crisis management

ONGOING

INVOLVEMENT

ELECTORAL

TREND DATA

TELEPHONE

SURVEYS

We utilize traditional telephone surveys with live interviewers. This method enables us to:

gauge the percentage of people who hold certain attitudes
test the impact of messages
identify demographic and psychographic profiles of target constituencies

Telephone surveys generally receive the best response rates for quantitative research and this, in part, makes them a more statistically reliable measurement of large populations than other forms of research.

IVR

SURVEYS

IVR surveys are short interviews conducted with automatic interactive voice response (IVR) technology. Often, prohibitive costs make it infeasible to examine highly refined subgroups in a given jurisdiction via traditional polling. An IVR survey presents a cost effective alternative that maintains analytic integrity while providing detailed information about your area.

JURY

RESEARCH

We conduct jury research in advance of the trial in the form of polling, focus groups, and mock trials. Mock trials involve a live demonstration of arguments from both the prosecution and defense, as jurors would hear if they were in court. We collect data on both the jurors’ initial responses to each segment of the case as well as on the arguments raised during their deliberation. During the trial, we offer evaluation of the jury pool, witnesses, expert witnesses; management of public relations and press outreach; and on-site consulting throughout the trial.

IN-DEPTH

INTERVIEWS

In-depth interviews are one-on-one qualitative interviews that are designed to yield focused, detailed research among hard-to-reach segments of the population. The relatively unstructured format allows the interviewer the freedom to ask relevant follow-up questions and to explore the issue in a comprehensive, holistic manner that may not be possible via other interviewing methods. When spoken to outside of the framework of a telephone or group interview potential voters have the ability to express, on their own terms, their thoughts on a given subject.

FOCUS

GROUPS

Focus groups provide an opportunity for voters to explore a wide range of subjects in an informal setting. They are comprised of about ten participants, last approximately two hours, and may be viewed through a one-way mirror by the research team. During sessions participants interact with a moderator and each other in a group dynamic that stimulates more ideas and insights.

Focus groups are an ideal way to understand people’s awareness and opinions. Through discussion and follow-up probing, we can discover not only what opinions people hold, but also the underlying reasons and factors that influence those opinions. While some groups may have similar feelings about pressing issues, those feelings can be the result of very different belief sets and patterns of reason. Understanding why individuals think or feel the way they do is essential in effectively communicating with your constituency.

MICRO-

TARGETING

For over 50 years, social scientists have known that demographic data (such as age and race) has inherently limited utility for predicting or explaining political beliefs and behaviors. As such, if individuals are grouped based on values and lifestyle variables instead of purely demographic factors, ideologically homogeneous subgroups can be identified – a practice known as microtargeting. Micotargeting grouping techniques have obvious appeal for political campaigns. This method gives candidates access to clear profiles of potential voters so that campaign money can be spent on influencing people who are genuinely persuadable or in need of GOTV efforts.

Many factors may prevent campaigns from achieving optimal targeting. These obstacles can include an absence of information; the cost and time constraints of obtaining a sample large enough to generate cohesive models; and a lack of consensus about alternative statistical procedures to generate the models. Though none of these obstacles have been entirely eliminated, Hickman Analytics, Inc. has devised a cost effective way to conduct microtargeting research that utilizes both traditional live interview polling and interactive voice response surveys.