Dial Groups

Perception Analyzer™ groups share both qualitative and quantitative aspects: they are qualitative like traditional focus groups in that a small number of people are interviewed in a group setting, quantitative in that real-time data is collected through a wireless hand-held device and PC set-up. Perception Analyzers utilize a real-time response measurement research technique used to gather instantaneous data from a group of respondents who are subjected to an input stimulus, for example a speech or a television commercial.

Complete demographic profiles can be run for the data collected, and clients in attendance can see the results as they are collected. Dial groups are especially useful in comparing advertising, either within the same line, i.e., to test which ad for a product or concept works best, or against your competitor's advertising. In addition, this technique is well-suited to measuring reaction to television shows, company videos and other message and content-driven materials, such as speeches, sales presentations, corporate reports, and brochures.

Public Opinion Strategies has used this technique successfully for advertising testing, both message and visual content, for a number of clients. We have completed over 150 Perception Analyzer™ groups, testing material such as political campaign ads, corporate ads, candidate speeches, public awareness spots, segments of television shows as well as radio ads.

We have used Perception Analyzer™ dials to do extensive media testing at the presidential campaign level, for a major health care initiative in California, and for a variety of corporate clients. The corporate work tends to use the dials to have respondents react to negative TV coverage and a client's projected response.

Focus Groups

Focus groups (or other qualitative research techniques, such as executive interviewing or one-on-one interviews) can serve to provide color and nuance to quantitative results, as well as stand on their own as a valuable research tool. Focus groups, by their very nature, add depth of understanding to any research question - they tell a skilled researcher "why," "how," and "what" in a way that other research techniques simply cannot.

Public Opinion Strategies has conducted over a thousand focus groups in all parts of the country, as well internationally. These groups have dealt with a vast range of topics - politics, finances, health care, technology, current affairs, corporate image, and crisis communications, to name just a few.

We customize our approach and content for each client, working closely with them to design a discussion guide and materials for the groups. Regardless of the topic, Public Opinion Strategies can successfully arrange, conduct, and analyze focus group data to help bring into focus findings to help our clients with their needs.

Internet Surveys

Public Opinion Strategies is an enthusiastic user of the internet for targeted research purposes, and has used this medium to great effect on a variety of projects. We have conducted on-line focus groups, webpage testing, advertising testing for both political and public affairs clients, and a range of on-line surveys for a variety of companies and associations.

Some examples of our work include...

Advertising recall and content assessment surveys for on-going ad campaigns in support of public policy issues. Our research combined quantitative and qualitative elements - allowing us to gauge recall and ad performance in multiple markets and among a range of customer segments that wouldn't have been possible in either a focus group or telephone/mail environment.

Extensive membership surveys for several organizations and leading associations. The surveys probed members/customers about organizational performance, information use/needs, perceptions of client mission statement, and needs assessment. These surveys have been used for extensive internal review and improvement for our clients - allowing them to make customer-focused changes to their organizations.

An on-line focus group with a nationally recruited group of respondents to test the effectiveness of a benefits calculator for a Social Security website.

An on-line survey to test the appeal and effectiveness of a health care-focused website for a leading health care interest group. As part of this survey, we conducted two parallel surveys - one testing our client's website, and one that tested a similar questionnaire with a competing website. This technique allowed to have control data for our client's results, as well as allowing a variety of comparisons on comparable attributes.

Internet research is a powerful tool for Public Opinion Strategies' client - and our experience provides us with the expertise to help our clients know when this methodology is appropriate to use, and then how to execute the research.

Mall Intercepts

In order to help quantify what we learn in focus groups regarding ad creative, we sometimes recommend testing television ads through the use of mall intercepts. In a mall intercept, respondents do NOT see all the test advertising produced, but simply rate one or two treatments. Respondents then complete some pre and post measures (overall industry rating, perception of issue expressed in the ad, etc.). The advertising is judged by which one or two of the test concepts creates the most overall movement on the post-measures. This technique has the advantage of being able to directly compare the impact of different creative or positioning concepts, but does not have the personal interaction with a moderator after having rated the advertising as in focus groups. This use of mall intercepts can help to powerfully demonstrate a definite "winner" ad among a core audience. Mall intercepts provide a more quantitative measure than focus groups do with regards to which advertising creative to run.

We have used mall intercept testing in some of our previous issue campaign experience on behalf of Americans for Job Security, Citizens for Better Medicare, Robert Wood Johnson and others.

Phone Surveys

Telephone polling is our specialty at Public Opinion Strategies - we have completed nearly four million interviews via telephone in all fifty states and a variety of foreign countries since our beginnings in 1991. And, unlike most other research firms who offer political and public affairs research, we own our own telephone center and have access to over 300 CATI-enabled data collection stations for use in our work.

POS controls the entire research process in-house - from questionnaire and sampling design, to survey briefing, to data processing and analysis. This allows us total control of quality control on every project that we complete, and allows us to meet client deadlines no matter how tight the timeframe. No one conducts high quality research better or faster than our firm.

Our use of telephone polling runs the gamut of research - in-depth executive interviewing, nightly tracking surveys, monthly national omnibus surveys, single issue surveys, benchmarks, political brushfire surveys, and business-to-business interviewing.