Politics

Budgeting for Political Consulting Firms Is Like Catching Fireflies

Do you remember summer as a kid? If you lived in the eastern half of the United States, your evenings probably involved catching fireflies. As you stand there in your backyard, jar in hand, you see the lightning bugs flicker their tails on and off. Your legs spring into action as you dive forward to […]

The One Thing That Makes Your Political Campaign Successful

Imagine me coming at you like a late night infomercial, shouting a constant stream of industry buzzwords. Maybe I’m pouring wine on carpet then getting it out, or showing you a wicked-cool, growing chia pet. All while huge font text is plastered on your television screen. Now those of you who know me will say […]

Lessons from a Trip to Colombia Presenting on Politics & Communication (…and Our Adoption Story)

I just arrived back from Medellín, Colombia – the City of Eternal Spring. If you’ve never been, seriously make it your next vacation. Beautiful setting in a valley 6,000 feet above sea level. Kind people that smile and speak to you on the streets. Perfect weather that puts Hawaii to shame. [Jump to the bottom […]

Real Polling is Not Broken

While on a panel in Las Vegas for the 2017 Reed Awards, we dove into the topic of the reliability of polling. After the well-documented number of polling misses revealed in the November election, the polling industry was deemed unreliable and inaccurate. However, it should be noted that myself and other pollsters I hold in […]

How Political Consultants Should Plan for 2017, Closeout 2016

Hopefully all your clients have paid, your bills to vendors are caught up, and you’re swimming in greenbacks. What should you be doing to finish out 2016 and lay the foundation for next year? Straighten Out Estimated Taxes Let’s get the unfun stuff out of the way. Uncle Sam always gets his cut. Whether you’re […]

Serious 2016 Success for Our Partners & Clients

In an election year that was a roller coaster of emotions and topped off with an Election Day of historic proportions, Cygnal is fortunate to have worked with some of the best and brightest political operatives and committees in the business today. We are proud to have been a part of the success that our […]

Poll Now…Poll Often…Prep for the Future

The current Presidential campaign is causing dismay down-ballot. When WikiLeaks unloads another damaging batch of emails about Hillary or Trump’s past or current comments come back to bite him, US Senate, Congressional, gubernatorial, and state legislative candidates all cringe. It’s an understandable reaction, wondering if coattails – positive or negative – are going to filter […]

Republican Candidates: There’s a Trump Effect (and How to Handle It)

Republican candidates – especially congressional, state legislative, and local ones – go up and down with his number. For the remaining tens of thousands of Republicans affected by Trump’s every move in the polls, there are ways to use his base but also expand yours. But you need to get in the field with a […]

Ensure Final-Stretch Poll Accuracy with These 5 Questions

During these final few weeks, campaigns (and their consultants) are looking to finish strong. Ideally, the countless number of doors knocked, direct mail pieces sent, and digital ads viewed have drawn clear expectations for Election Day. The campaign’s message has resonated with voters, GOTV efforts are strong, and a clear strategic plan for the last […]

Using Polls Effectively Near Election Day

In the political campaign industry, many tough choices are made. Maybe not the dramatic choices of Scandal, but tough nonetheless. As the cycle winds down and election day quickly approaches, political consultants making the right decisions quickly is paramount to winning. If we could physically speak with every voter to find out their stance, to […]

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