If there’s anything political operations do better than most businesses it’s they base their decisions on metrics. Every dollar spent is utilized effectively because money is allocated after a deep analysis of polling and target audiences. In this episode of The Iceberg, I’m joined by GOP pollster Brent Buchanan. We dive into the big mistakes businesses make when they focus solely on their gut while ignoring metrics.
Brent Buchanan is an international pollster and messaging strategist based in Washington, DC. He was recognized by the American Association of Political Consultants as a “40 Under 40” and by Campaigns & Elections as a “Rising Star” and has served in multiple polling, communication, and strategy roles for governors, presidents, legislative leaders, and major corporations. He serves on the executive committee of the International Association of Political Consultants. Brent is the founder and president of Cygnal, an award-winning polling, public opinion, and predictive analytics firm also based in Washington, DC, whose clients include Fortune Global 500 companies, foreign heads of state, U.S. senators, congressmen, dozens of state legislative caucuses, and trade associations.
The company is recognized by Inc. 5000 as the fastest-growing private research company in the U.S. and in the top third of growth for all private American companies. Cygnal conducted more than 800 surveys in 2020 and over 1,300 surveys in 2022 in the U.S. and 17 other countries. Mr. Buchanan helped create Cygnal’s proprietary Emotive Analysis which quantitatively analyzes voter emotions, allowing campaigns to bypass the logical brain and tap directly into the heart of what voters are feeling, not just thinking. Brent does not have any free time because his most important priority is his wife of 14 years and five children ranging from age 13 to age 6.
