With contextualized research and data in hand, our team helps clients deliver impactful messages that we know ahead of time will resonate with target audiences. Good research helps frame issues around community values, challenges and priorities, which translates into winning campaign strategies, effective policies that can be moved forward, and stronger marketing impacts with key audiences.  

At the heart of S360’s research services, you will find a team lead by experienced public opinion strategists David Kornahrens and Ryan Karlsgodt. 

This team excels at distilling actionable recommendations from public opinion research. Whether they accurately measured public sentiment with a representative survey poll or probe community decision making in a focus group, our research professionals offer more than data – they bring contextual insights. In recent years, the team has conducted more than 80 polls for private sector companies, nonprofit organizations, and public agencies across the country.  

They work closely with clients to design surveys that answer key questions that deliver insightful strategic guidance. The research team ensures high-quality methodology during interviews and delivers both high-level data and in-depth analysis from which they present clear, actionable recommendations that support clients’ goals. Their work doesn’t sit on a shelf; it’s integrated into winning strategies. 

“An experienced outdoor hiker would never navigate the wilderness without a map,” David said. “Well-designed research tests assumptions that might otherwise be taken for granted and reveals the advantages and disadvantages of different pathways to reach an objective. Our research provides a map of the best way forward.”  

Research ensures decisions are grounded in real insight rather than assumptions. 

Experience and Earned Trust 

Clients benefit from our team’s hard-earned lessons and pattern recognition developed over our years of working through complex public policy and communications challenges. And S360’s research team brings this experience to every project. 

David is S360’s Senior Vice President of Research and brings an extensive background supporting political campaigns in both research and as a campaign manager. He has previously worked as campaign manager for Paula Villescaz for California State Assembly  and served as Director of Polling and Modeling for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee(DCCC) where he oversaw research teams that worked across 80 battleground districts, and whose research helped secure a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020.  

Ryan, S360’s Research Manager, also served as a research analyst for the DCCC, and was part of the political research team that supported President Obama’s reelection in 2012. From there he joined the Obama Administration, helping coordinate political appointments across Federal agencies and then becoming a Presidential appointee himself in the Office of Global Climate Change at the U.S. Agency for International Development. Prior to joining S360 Ryan was the research analyst for San Diego’s hotel and hospitality workers union, UNITE HERE! Local 30, where he tracked local politics and policy. 

Being able to spot trends, make sense of contradictory data signals, and guide clients to successful messaging has proven instrumental in Strategies 360’s successful campaigns over the years. This team’s most recent success was in the February 2026 election in Washington state securing $4 billion in bonds and levies for 12 school districts. Using the research team’s data and analysis, S360’s education communications team developed an effective strategy that paired strong messages with engaging collateral developed by our creative services. The big wins for students means more room to learn, more resources to grow, and more opportunities to pursue big dreams and goals. 

Where Research is Trending 

David and Ryan see research continuing to evolve toward digital methods. Community members and voters increasingly prefer to participate on their own time, accessed through online platforms. Over the past decade, the share of respondents completing surveys via web links texted to their phones has grown dramatically and now represents a majority of completed interviews, a trend the team is already leveraging for clients. 

Big Challenges Need a Strategist’s Approach 

David and Ryan are curious, creative problem-solvers working within an integrated team of strategists. By turning data into direction, they help clients move forward with confidence to deliver comprehensive, collaborative solutions. 

Whether providing smaller communities specialized research like Community-Plus and Community-Basic surveys  or conducting large-scale representative opinion polling projects, David and Ryan manage the research process end-to-end. 

“My advice when we start a project with a client is to trust the process,” Ryan said. “Our clients are experts in their fields and provide us with important, detailed context for their specific research needs. Let us be the experts in which research methods will best meet their desired goals and needs. At the end of the day, you’ll have data that is both tailored to your needs and trustworthy.” 

Their approach starts with setting clear, manageable expectations and carefully documenting a client’s perceptions and goals. From there, they translate those needs into a customized research plan designed to deliver insightful and actionable information. Their aim for every project is to ensure each client understands the most efficient and effective method or message to achieve their goals. 

The post Meet the Strategists: Our Research Team Turns Data to Action appeared first on Strategies 360.

When we compare these outcomes to statewide research conducted in partnership with Piper Sandler, a clear pattern emerges. Voters are not turning away from public education. They are becoming more selective, more cost-conscious, and more focused on outcomes. 

For districts planning future measures, the lesson is to strengthen your year-round engagement strategies.  

The Research Trends Behind the Results

Our statewide survey of registered voters found: 

• 54 percent believe their local district needs more funding 

• 62 percent believe local property taxes are too high 

• Transparency and communication are the top drivers of trust 

This tension between funding need and tax sensitivity defined the February ballot. Voters are willing to invest, but they expect clarity in return. Bridging this gap requires an integrated strategy that connects research to messaging to channels and year-round engagement.  

February’s election results reflected S360’s research trends and findings almost exactly. The clearest takeaway is that voters continue to recognize the need for school investment, especially through levies, but growing tax sensitivity and higher expectations for accountability make the communications of the details of each proposal more important than ever. 

What the Approved Measures Had in Common 

The S360 team was proud to support 12 school districts and successful passage of 21 measures, securing nearly $4 billion for over 121,000 students. 

When we look at districts where bonds and levies were approved, the communications playbook is consistent and follows a “Need – Plan – Accountability” structure. Successful measures: 

• Clearly explain why local funding is necessary and how it fits into Washington’s broader school funding structure. They often emphasize renewal or replacement when that’s the case, which lowers the temperature around tax concerns. They spell out exactly what the dollars will pay for — specific schools, projects, upgrades — instead of relying on broad phrases. And they address cost head-on, usually in plain language that helps voters understand what it means for them. 

• Are all about clarity. Voters appear willing to support school funding when they understand the problem, see a defined solution, and feel confident the investment is responsible. In a tax-sensitive environment, communications that reduce uncertainty and build trust can make the difference between majority support and a supermajority win. 

• Don’t stop after the election. In fact, districts who regularly share updates about past funding and plans for future funding show increased trust among their communities. 

What This Means for District Leaders 

Successful measures are grounded in: 

• Messaging that reflects local priorities. Baseline opinion research to understand funding sentiment and tax sensitivity means your messaging will accurately reflect what your community thinks 

• Clear articulation of specific projects and outcomes 

• Year-round communication that reaches beyond families 

Looking Forward 

February confirmed that Washington communities are willing to invest when they understand the why, the how, and the impact. 

From baseline research and message testing to creative development, digital strategy, stakeholder engagement, and ongoing communications planning, our team partners with districts to build the systems that support successful measures. If you’re beginning to think about your next levy or bond, we’d welcome the conversation. Contact us at edteam@strategies360.com  

The post What February’s Election Results Tell Us About the Path to Successful Ballot Measures appeared first on Strategies 360.

The statewide poll provides new perspectives on how voters view the Presidential, Senate, House, Governor’s, and State Superintendent races 

View poll results here.

Helena, MT — With Montana as one of the top priorities for both political parties on nearly every top ticket race this election season, NBC Montana partnered with Strategies 360’s nationally-recognized public opinion research team to find out how campaigns are influencing voters’ decisions as mail ballots are sent in and communities prepare for Election Day. S360 Montana’s leads and political analysts, Melissa Shannon and Glenn Oppel, will be breaking down the results on NBC Montana beginning Thursday, October 22.

At the time of the release, according to the Secretary of State website, 45% of registered voters had cast ballots with 46,000 ballots returned yesterday alone.

As one of the only public polls in the field during this election cycle, the poll shows the U.S. Senate race between Governor Steve Bullock and Sen. Steve Daines in a near dead heat.

The U.S. House race between Kathleen Williams and State Auditor Matthew Rosendale is another tight one, seeing both candidates polling at 46%.

In Montana’s hotly contested gubernatorial race between Rep. Greg Gianforte and Lt. Governor Mike Cooney, Gianforte has a 7% lead – outside the margin of error.

The rematch between current Superintendent Public Instruction (SPI) Elsie Arntzen and former Montana Teacher of the Year, Melissa Romano, has Romano leading Arntzen slightly, but within the margin of error and with a higher percentage of undecided voters than any other race surveyed.

The insight provided by the S360/NBC Montana poll reveals Vice President Joe Biden is trailing President Donald Trump by 8 points, with 4% of surveyed voters remaining undecided.

“NBC Montana is excited to partner with Strategies 360 during this historic election season,” said NBC Montana News Director Chris Avery. “This partnership and opportunity to offer data on key races, including Senate, House and Governor is unique. Melissa Shannon and Glenn Oppel offer distinct context that is unmatched in the Treasure State.”

Statement on methodology: Strategies 360 conducted a mixed-mode survey of 500 likely November 2020 voters in Montana. Interviews were conducted October 15th-20th, 2020. A combination of landlines, cell phones, and voter file-based online interviews via text message were used to ensure greater coverage of the population sampled.

The margin of error for a survey of 500 interviews is ±4.4% at the 95% confidence interval. The margin of error is higher for subsamples. Other sources of error not accounted for by the stated statistical margin of error include, but are not limited to, question wording, question order, coverage bias, and response bias.

The post Strategies 360 Releases Exclusive Poll With NBC Montana appeared first on Strategies 360.

With the added expertise of Lindsey Mears, Chase Ramos and Emily Klein, S360 bolsters its ability to deliver valuable research for clients’ unique needs in 2020.

Seattle, WA – Strategies 360 has been expanding our research practice with the additions of Research Director Lindsey Mears and Research Analysts Chase Ramos and Emily Klein. Based across S360’s western footprint, the research team has been delivering important data throughout 2020 with the skilled insight of the firm’s newest research professionals. Our expert research team has made a difference for clients working on everything from policy initiatives to messaging strategy in a complex, ever-changing environment.

“This year has been a practice in quick changes that require incisive decisions,” said Ron Dotzauer, Founder and CEO of Strategies 360. “S360’s research professionals have been providing top-tier data-driven insights that help clients move their most important projects forward with confidence. The team has also been at the forefront of some of the most critical public conversations of the day – and they do so with professionalism and thoughtfulness.”

As Research Director, Lindsey Mears brings an audience-centered approach to client projects across the firm footprint. She is an insightful strategist who specializes in message development, audience identification and segmentation, and reputation management.

Lindsey started her career in political campaign polling and has since worked with businesses ranging from unions to large energy corporations to international financial institutions to regional transportation companies. Lindsey is a RIVA-trained focus group moderator, having moderated dozens of focus groups nationwide.

Chase Ramos joined S360 as a Research Analyst while living in California. There he worked to enhance voting access through research on city compliance of the California Voting Rights Act of 2001. His team’s findings confirmed that city compliance with the policy saw increases in racial representation on their city councils. This project underscored his belief in designing policy to ensure representative, democratic systems. Chase brings his passion for public policy into every research project he undertakes. Combining keen policy insights with campaign strategy, Chase helps lead research project logistics and quality assurance.

S360’s newest Research Analyst, Emily Klein joins the firm after serving as a summer intern for the past three years. In this role, she collaborates to deliver data that addresses clients’ pressing issues and strategic needs. She brings her background in literature to all aspects of her work, especially crafting effective messages, qualitative analysis and quality assurance. Emily was previously a Junior Analyst with S360, where she helped clients on an array of policy and initiative projects. Prior to S360, Emily worked in publications and was active with organizations that advocate for immigration reform and global poverty relief.

“Lindsey, Chase and Emily have grown our capacity to deliver winning insight for our clients,” said Kevin Ingham, Senior Vice President of Research. “They further bolster our very talented team of pollsters and every one of our clients will benefit from their addition to our ranks.”

This year, S360’s research team launched the new California Community Polls on behalf of The Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE), Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), and The Los Angeles Urban League, in consultation with the Los Angeles Times.

The polls, completed in February and July of this year, demonstrate a significant shift in attitudes on race and identity among Californians. They also examined Presidential primary preferences, and views on education, COVID-19 and policing.

“The California Community Polls are an example of the power of opinion research to contribute to the most important conversations taking place in our country,” said Drew Lieberman, Senior Vice President of Research. “The unique perspectives of our partners, crossed with our team’s commitment to helping our clients gain valuable insights, help advance these critical issues.”

S360’s research team consists of eight full time professionals located across the firm footprint. You can learn more about our research services and connect with the team at www.strategies360.com/services/research/.

The post Strategies 360 Adds New Research Experts and Delivers Critical Data In 2020 appeared first on Strategies 360.

Seattle, WA

With a background in political psychology, Ben has specialized in research on electoral politics, campaign finance reform, healthcare, and race. Over the past seven years, he has polled for four sitting U.S. Senators, run the University of Southern California / Los Angeles Times statewide poll, and aided several major corporate brands and organizations with nuanced analysis of market trends.

In 2018, he played a key role in the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s national research, sharpening its messaging as Democrats picked up 40 seats and won the House. His research on low-propensity voters drove the DCCC’s historic $30 million investment to turn out diverse voters, women, and millennials.

“Ben’s political acumen is a great asset. His innovative approach to research and whip-smart analysis means our clients can access the best information to successfully drive their messages forward,” said Ron Dotzauer, founder and CEO of Strategies 360.

Ben is most interested in finding out what issues, emotions, and messages motivate people to vote, support a cause, or buy a product – and then how those motivations can be reinforced or changed. A trained moderator, he has overseen over 50 focus groups across the country, on topics ranging from elections to healthcare to campaign finance laws. Ben also has significant experience using emerging online technologies like Qualboards, online focus groups, and mixed-mode methodologies to meet clients’ needs in an environment where fewer people take telephone surveys.

Ben, who will work out of Strategies 360’s Seattle headquarters, is no stranger to the Pacific Northwest. In 2017, his research helped Jenny Durkan emerge from a crowded field to be elected the Mayor of Seattle, and in 2015, he polled for Honest Elections Seattle in the successful effort to pass I-122, which implemented numerous campaign finance reforms and the democracy voucher system the city uses today.

Prior to joining S360, Ben was a Senior Associate at Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, and Research Director at The Feldman Group in Washington DC. He graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with degrees in Political Science and Psychology. Outside the office, he can usually be found on a soccer field.

About Strategies 360: With offices in 12 Western states and Washington, D.C., Strategies 360 is the leading public affairs, communications, research, and marketing firm in the west. The firm also owns and operates its own in-house creative design and marketing practice, The Hilt. With experts drawn from the worlds of government, politics, the news media, quantitative and qualitative research, advertising, marketing and design, S360 crafts and executes the strategies that help clients succeed.

The post Leading Political Researcher Joins Strategies 360  appeared first on Strategies 360.

POLL COMES BEFORE COUNCIL VOTE, SHOWS “STUNNING NUMBERS” THROUGHOUT SEATTLE

With the City of Seattle embroiled in a debate over the City Council’s proposed employee head tax plan, Strategies 360 teamed up with KIRO 7 News to find out how Seattle voters are responding.

The exclusive poll came as the first piece of publicly released opinion research into the issue that has dominated the city’s news cycle and produced what S360 Co-founder and CEO, Ron Dotzauer called some “stunning numbers.”

The survey found the proposal to charge Seattle businesses that earn more than $20 million a year with an employee head tax entirely underwater, with 54% of Seattle voters opposed to the plan, compared to 38% in support:

“This is a vote that Seattle doesn’t want,” Dotzauer told KIRO 7 News when analyzing the poll results. “The biggest surprise of this poll is the intensity of the opposition – usually you get a little more balance. Clearly, there are some very strong feelings about the head tax in Seattle.”

When asked at what dollar amount voters might support a head tax, the poll showed strong opposition across the board:

Compounding the clear public sentiment opposing a head tax in any form was a strong distrust of Seattle government to manage the money raised by a potential head tax wisely:

The live telephone poll of 400 registered voters in Seattle was released by KIRO 7 on Monday morning, ahead of the Seattle City Council’s full vote on the proposed $500-per-worker head tax on some Seattle businesses.

View the full survey results here, and read the full coverage and analysis by KIRO 7 here.

Statement on Methodology:

In partnership with KIRO 7 News, Strategies 360 conducted a survey among 400 registered voters in the city of Seattle. The survey was conducted by live professional interviewers between May 11^th and 13^th, 2018. A combination of landline and mobile phones were called to ensure greater coverage of the population sampled.

The margin of error for a survey of 400 interviews is ±4.9% at the 95% confidence interval. The margin of error is higher for subsamples. Other sources of error not accounted for by the stated statistical margin of error include, but are not limited to, question wording, question order, coverage bias, and response bias.

The sample for this survey was drawn randomly from a list of registered voters and stratified by Seattle City Council District. Quotas were assigned to reflect the actual contribution of these areas to the total electorate. The sample reflects the demographic composition of the Seattle electorate per data from the U.S. Census Bureau, King County Elections, and several distinct voter files.

The post KIRO 7 RELEASES EXCLUSIVE S360 POLL ON SEATTLE HEAD TAX appeared first on Strategies 360.

• Charters Survey Results Memo – Political analysis
• 16-095 – March Charter Schools Survey – Toplines

The post Results Memo and Toplines: Washington Voters Demonstrate Overwhelming Support for Continued Funding of Charter Schools appeared first on Strategies 360.

komo-s360-washington-poll-2016-toplines

komo-s360-washington-poll-2016-crosstabs

The post KOMO and Strategies 360 release poll results on U.S. Senate race, ballot initiatives appeared first on Strategies 360.

komo-strategies-360-washington-poll-2016-toplines

komo-strategies-360-washington-poll-2016-crosstabs

The post KOMO and Strategies 360 release poll on races for President, Washington Governor appeared first on Strategies 360.