Research types

	Purpose	Methods	Key outcomes	Example
Quantitative Research: The ‘what’	Define voter demographics, segmentation, and the election framework.	Large-scale polling, surveys, data analysis.	Identify target voter groups and understand their priorities.	Polling reveals that 60% of voters prioritise healthcare, but your target undecided voters rank the economy even higher at 70%.
Qualitative Research: The ‘why’	Dig deeper into the motivations, concerns, and perceptions of your target voters.	Focus groups and in-depth interviews.	Understand why voters think the way they do and uncover emotional drivers.	Focus groups might reveal that while voters care about the economy, they also need reassurance that your candidate has the expertise to manage it effectively.
Message testing	Test and refine how your message resonates with target voters.	A/B testing, dial testing, controlled message exposure. Techniques like A/B testing or dial testing help evaluate immediate reactions to campaign ads or slogans.	Determine which messages move voters toward your candidate and away from opponents.	In dial testing, participants rate their approval or disapproval of a message in real-time, highlighting which parts of an ad resonate most.

Voter Segmentation

Segmentation works alongside the research arc to ensure the insights from each phase are tailored to specific voter groups.

Example: If 80% of undecided voters care about the economy, you might focus on testing economic messaging during the message testing phase.