Published items that support your goal, such as reports, report cards, fact sheets, score cards, public opinion surveys and executive summaries.

When deciding whether or not to include intellectual knowledge in your campaign—and, if so, what kind—consider the following:

• How will it advance what the audience already knows about the issue?
• Why will this information be credible to the target audiences?
• Is it user friendly?
• Will it cut through the noise?
• What do you expect the information to compel your targets to do?
• What is the shelf life of this information?
• How many different ways can you use this information in the campaign?
• Is it saying something new?

Best Practices

• Consider repackaging disparate information into one central place.
• Make the information as relevant to the target audiences as possible. For example, localize it, translate it into a different language or include scientific data.
• Don’t underestimate the power of a good executive summary. It may be the only thing people read.
• Make sure your information is newsworthy.
• Many members of your target audiences may not have an advanced degree on the topic. Write for a lay audience, or package the information differently for different audiences.

Pitfalls

• The opposition will also produce intellectual knowledge. Avoid making the focus of your effort a debate over misinformation. These debates usually confuse target audiences. And they tune out.
• Don’t let ego get the best of you. If yours is not the most credible organization to release the intellectual knowledge, go find the group that is.
• Don’t think facts alone will win the day. If people are emotionally attached to their way of thinking, a report is unlikely to change that.
• Polls are valuable, but many will use them to support what they already think, rather than as fodder to change their minds.

More Resources

Made to Stick
http://www.madetostick.com
This book by brothers Chip Heath and Dan Heath (both business and marketing experts) helps people make sure their ideas stick. It offers guidance as to what kind of intellectual knowledge is needed and helps people steer clear of “the curse of too much knowledge.”

In Other Words
http://www.emcf.org/pub/otherresources.htm
Here you will find three publications by language maven Tony Proscio that help organizations use words that will get their point across most effectively.

Presentation Zen
http://www.presentationzen.com/
Communications specialist Garry Reynolds’ blog centers on issues related to professional presentation.

Polling resources:

Data Directory
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/datadir.htm
The Washington Post publishes this guide to the public opinion data that are available online from nonpartisan organizations. It includes media and national polls, nonprofit and academic data, and opinion research by state.

FedStats.gov
http://www.fedstats.gov/
This site provides statistics and studies compiled by the federal government. It is searchable by geography, subject and agency, with links to nonprofit agencies and their reports.

Gallup
http://www.gallup.com/
Gallup is the most widely known polling and research organization. Its site is searchable by world region and topic.

PollingReport.com
http://www.pollingreport.com/index.html
This is an aggregate site of American polling data by issue or current news item.

Public Agenda Online
http://www.publicagenda.org
Public Agenda Online is a nonpartisan, nonprofit opinion research organization with both research studies and guides that are searchable by issue or topic.

Roper Center Public Opinion Archives
http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/
Topics at a Glance gives a brief overview of major research on a range of issues, with links for further information. The site also has sections on polling and opinion research fundamentals.

World Public Opinion
http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/
This site provides international polling and opinion research searchable by topic or region.