Elites are often the earliest indication of where public opinion will go in 12-18 months. They are the critical group many clients should influence to change “opinion” before it ever becomes “public opinion”.
In many situations, by the time an issue or viewpoint reaches the general public or consumer audience, it’s already beyond the control of traditional communications efforts. To help our clients navigate this reality, Penn Schoen Berland has developed particular expertise in assessing what elites are thinking, and determining how to influence their views, through market research and communications.
And we are able to develop these elite strategies because we have an entire fielding unit dedicated to reaching specialist, elite audiences including:
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Government, political, NGO, and press elites in political and press capitals worldwide |
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Financial, business, and media elites in financial centers like London and New York |
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Style and entertainment elites in glamour capitals like Milan and Tokyo |
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Tech elites in tech hubs like Silicon Valley and Seoul |
If you want to monitor and influence an elite group such as CMOs or CFOs, PSB has the experience, fielding expertise, and tailored approaches to do it.
- Before the Crisis, we use our war room simulation research to project how a potential crisis might arise, what impact it might have and the other side (whether competitors or just the voices that are attacking) might react. We then develop different potential responses and quantitatively test their effectiveness, ensuring that when a crisis hits you are prepared with a game plan you know will work.
- During the Heat of the Crisis, we conduct flash polls of key audiences to determine how you are being impacted by the news. Is the crisis hurting your reputation with consumers or elites? Are customers deserting or standing with you? Are the messages still working for each audience, or do they need to be evolved in light of the news? Research helps you develop response strategies that are independent of the news cycle. This is the defense phase of crisis work. Regardless of whether PSB is engaged before the crisis hits, we can be on site with relevant data in as little as 24 hours.
- Rehabilitation. When the heat of the crisis begins to pass, we work with you to determine how to address any lingering concerns, recapture any ground you’ve lost, and develop a strategy and plan for moving past the crisis to restore your forward momentum.
In summary, we provide organizations with a crisis management process that helps them get through the toughest of storms, and recover from them as quickly as possible.