Survation specialises in helping campaigns, political parties, and brands to shape their messaging and understand their audience. 

Our strategic communication practice combines detailed segmentation of both qualitative and quantitative research to create messaging that resonates with target audiences. We provide advice and implementation strategies to effectively influence public and stakeholder opinions.

We work extensively with companies, campaign groups, trade unions, trade associations and political parties to help them understand how to campaign more effectively and change the behaviours of the public and decision makers.

Measuring opinion is vital to understand how to shape and influence opinion. Survation is unique as a polling company because it specialises in using accurate data and research, to help build campaigns which achieve their objectives.

Survation’s key focus is on tracking and influencing public sentiment. It is not just important to know whether the public or key stakeholders, such as MPs and councillors, support or oppose an issue. It is crucial to understand the level of their passion and how to effectively persuade them to care more or less about it.

Survation specialises in identifying the most effective ways to unite diverse groups through the use of segmentation. This is often a crucial element in achieving successful outcomes in our strategic communication work.

We typically work with companies and campaign groups wanting to find messaging and influencing strategies to strengthen public and political sentiment towards their objectives, trade unions to strengthen support for their members and industrial action, and political parties looking to broaden their voter bases and understand weaknesses and strengths to different voter cohorts and demographics.

Survation’s strategic communication practice typically recommends a phased approach to campaign building: 

Phase 1:  Situation analysis and hypothesis building 

Phase 2 – Testing phase 

Phase 3 – Strategy phase

Case study – Clean Up Gambling campaign

Survation worked with the Clean Up Gambling, which campaigns to reform and tighten regulations on online gambling.

We carried out monthly polling to determine public sentiment on key gambling issues, data research which was used to both help shape campaign messaging, and to demonstrate in the media the strength of public opinion.

Through detailed segmentation, we worked with the campaign to establish where coalitions could be developed, where voter cohorts with different political and party affiliations held similar sentiments on gambling reforms.

We carried out stakeholder surveys, including of MPs, to find the best ways of linking up political sentiment and public attitudes.

The key to a successful campaign is often finding the right messaging and communication strategy that can bridge traditional political divides. With the support of Survation’s data research, the Clean Up Gambling campaign was able to establish an effective cross-party and voter coalition that persuaded the government to commence a broad review of gambling laws, which will result in a White Paper.

According to private and public briefings, the White Paper is expected to include significant reform proposals.

Carl Shoben of Survation conducted a briefing on the Clean Up Gambling campaign and public opinion at the 2021 Conservative Party conference.

Other recent clients include the Four Day Week campaign, We Own It, Unite, CWU and Autonomy.

Carl Shoben

Our team is led by Carl Shoben, a former Downing Street special adviser and Labour Party Director of Strategy,  with 15 years of experience directing campaigns across the NHS and public service. With a proven track record of success in traditionally difficult to win campaigns, we are experts in providing valuable insights and shaping policy.

Our deep understanding of the media industry allows us to develop research that guarantees press coverage. Our team is dedicated to delivering high-quality research and providing valuable insights to support your decision making and strategy.

If you are interested in finding out how Survation can help you with your campaigns and strategy, contact Carl Shoben, at carl.shoben@survation.com, 07843346315.