Research & Insights

What actually moves people ,
and how to know before you spend.

Research, case studies, and thinking from 500+ message tests across campaigns, unions, advocacy, and nonprofits.

The Next Generation of Donors: How World Central Kitchen Tripled Return on Ad Spend With Pre-Tested Creative

WCK and Media Cause pre-tested video creative before launch — and discovered a Gaza message that drove +11 pts trust with 18–34 year olds, leading to $250K+ in donations at 4x+ ROAS.

What Actually Moves Donors to Give: Lessons from Testing Charity: Water's Ads

A data-driven ad beat a narrative ad 3-to-1 on donation intent — but the narrative produced backlash among high-income donors. Here's what that means for your creative strategy.

Refugees International: Hope, Humanity, and the Messages That Actually Move People

Fazal's story drove +17 pts support for refugee protection — ranking in the 98th percentile of all tested messages. The anti-Trump framing caused a -13 pt backlash with moderates.

How American Independent Radio Inspired Voter Turnout in the 2024 Election

A local independent radio partnership helped mobilize voters around shared community values — and the results were measurable.

American Independent Radio

Conservation Law Foundation: Climate Messaging That Moves New Englanders

CLF's message testing revealed which climate frames resonate most with New England audiences — and which ones backfire.

Introducing Pulse Surveys

Fast, credible audience research for moments when decisions can't wait for a full study cycle. Here's what Pulse Surveys are and when to use them.

Pulse Surveys

How Forward Majority Helped Flip Four State House Seats

Message testing identified the most persuasive contrast frames in competitive districts — and the results show up on Election Day.

Contrast, Don't Just Criticize

The evidence is clear: contrast messaging consistently outperforms pure attack messaging. Here's what the research shows about why — and how to apply it.

Contrast Messaging

AI Data Centers Audience Research

A national audience study reveals what shapes public opinion on AI data center development — and what concerns drive support or opposition.

AI Data Centers

New Research: Even Trump Voters Are Rethinking ICE

Message testing finds unexpected openness among Trump voters to reconsidering ICE's current enforcement approach — if the message is right.

ICE Research

2026 Midterm: Are Our Fundamental Democratic Principles Under Threat by Authoritarianism?

We tested whether democratic principles and authoritarianism resonate as 2026 midterm messages — and found out which audiences they actually move.

2026 Midterm

Pre-testing for Skippable Video Platforms

Why pre-testing your video ads matters more on skippable platforms — and how to do it before you commit your budget.

Skippable Video

Brady United Challenges Trump's "Tough on Crime" Rhetoric

Message testing helped Brady United identify the frames that best counter the tough-on-crime narrative when talking about gun violence prevention.

Brady United

Standing Out From the Noise: Measuring Breakthrough in Video Testing

How to test if your video ads will be memorable in real-world conditions with Grow Progress's new Video Breakthrough Testing feature.

Measuring Breakthrough in Video Testing

Stop Guessing & Test Before You Invest

Most testing tells you what worked after you've already spent the money. Learn how Rapid Message Testing helps you pick the right message before launch.

Test Before You Invest

Health Care and Education Messages Win in the Shutdown Debate

In a government shutdown debate, health care and education messages prove the most persuasive across partisan lines — here's what the data showed.

Congress Shutdown

Measuring Public Opinion on Early Trump Administration Actions in 2025

An Audience Understanding Survey across 7 battleground states reveals how swing-state voters feel about ICE, Medicaid cuts, and the Epstein files.

Measuring Public Opinion on Trump Administration Actions

Ad Testing Isn't Just for Ads

Many campaigns wait until an ad is fully produced to start testing. By then, the cake is baked. Here's how to build a systematic testing process from the start.

Ad Testing Isn't Just for Ads

Building a Downballot Testing Plan

How to use Persuasion Library to ground your expectations and learn from the broader movement as you plan testing for House races in 2026.

Building a Downballot Testing Plan

You Ran an Audience Understanding Survey — Now What?

Congratulations — you have rich insights about your audience. Here's how to turn that data into strategic messages and campaigns in four steps.

You Ran an Audience Understanding Survey — Now What?

Values-Based Organizing: United Steelworkers

How the United Steelworkers used audience understanding and message testing to truly meet workers where they are — and bring organizers on board.

United Steelworkers

Hope, Humanity & Possibility: The Power of Stories for Nonprofits

Partnering with Refugees International and Wide Eye, Grow Progress tested which storytelling approaches most effectively build support for the US Refugee Admissions program.

Hope, Humanity & Possibility

From Risk to Winning Strategy: How Testing Helped A Better Wisconsin Together Win Big

How ABWTPF used rapid message testing to pivot to anti-Musk ads at the right moment — and help Susan Crawford win the Wisconsin Supreme Court race.

A Better Wisconsin Together

Working-Class Woes: How Americans Feel About the Economy

An Audience Understanding Survey revealing how working-class Americans perceive the economy — and which frames most effectively speak to their frustration and identity.

Working-Class Woes

Grow Progress 101: A Creative Pre-Testing Primer

A walkthrough of how the Grow Progress product suite — Audience Understanding, Persuasion Sandbox, Rapid Message Testing, and Persuasion Library — work together.

Grow Progress 101: A Creative Pre-Testing Primer

Support for Proxy Voting in Congress for New Parents

Messages about proxy voting for new parents increased support by 12–14 points with consistent gains across gender, race, age, income, and ideology — including Republicans.

Proxy Voting

The Generational Shift: Navigating the Future of Donations

With $30–84 trillion in wealth set to change hands, nonprofits must adapt their strategies to engage a new wave of givers. Here's what the data shows.

Future of Donations

Testing Opposition to Trump's Funding Freeze

Which messages most persuade people to oppose Trump's executive order freezing federal grants? A 6,000-person RCT identifies the most effective frames — and the ones that backfire.

Trump's Funding Freeze

Rising Flames: A Call for Bold Action Against Climate Change

In the wake of the 2025 LA wildfires, what messages most effectively persuade people that climate change requires bold government action — even if it raises taxes?

California Wildfires

Testing the Waters of Clean Water Messaging

How a clean water advocacy organization used Rapid Message Testing to find the frames that moved voters — and those that didn't.

Clean Water Messaging

Client Spotlight: Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance

The GNOHA used message testing to pass a housing trust fund ballot measure with 75% of the vote — the largest affordable housing investment in New Orleans history.

GNOHA

Ahead of the VP Debate: What Messages Are Moving the Needle?

Before the 2024 vice presidential debate, Grow Progress tested which messages were most persuasive with voters — and what moved them toward Harris/Walz.

VP Debate

Harris's Debate Performance Proved Persuasive

After the 2024 presidential debate, Grow Progress measured the persuasive impact of Harris's performance on voters in key battleground states.

Kamala Harris Debate

Vice President Harris Favorability

An Audience Understanding Survey exploring voter perceptions of VP Kamala Harris — what drives favorability and what messages move the needle.

Harris Favorability

Masses vs. Margins: National vs. Battleground State Messaging

How do message effects differ between national audiences and voters in battleground states? A look at what changes — and what doesn't — when you narrow your targeting.

National vs Battleground

Beyond Demographics: The Key to Winning Hearts & Minds

Why values-based messaging outperforms demographic targeting — and how understanding what audiences truly believe unlocks more persuasive communication.

Political Messaging Values

Case Study: How a Leading Research Firm Optimized a $4.2B Ballot Measure

How a top research firm used Rapid Message Testing to find the winning frame for a $4.2 billion ballot measure — and get it across the finish line.

$4.2B Ballot Measure

How Well Do Political Practitioners Actually Persuade the Public?

A deep look at whether the messaging that political professionals think will work actually does — and the gap between expert intuition and evidence.

Political Practitioners

Case Study: Precision Strategies and Latino Voter Messaging

How Precision Strategies used Rapid Message Testing to find the economic message that moved Latino voters 9 points toward Gov. Polis — who won reelection by 20.

Latino Voters

Republicans' "Defund the IRS" Bill

How does messaging about Republicans' bill to cut IRS funding land with voters? Grow Progress tests which frames most effectively move public opinion.

IRS Bill

Case Study: Innovation Ohio and Message Development

How Innovation Ohio used Audience Understanding surveys to unlock a renewable energy message that moved conservatives 18 points — without traditional focus groups.

Innovation Ohio

Case Study: Can AI Voices Persuade Voters?

A first-of-its-kind test comparing AI-generated voices against human voices in political ads — and what it means for the future of campaign advertising.

AI Voices

Case Study: Flavored Tobacco Ban Ballot Measure

How message testing helped advocates find the most persuasive frames to pass a flavored tobacco ban — reaching across party lines to build a winning coalition.

Tobacco Ban

Case Study: Climate Messaging

Which climate frames actually move people? A deep dive into what messaging works — and what backfires — when trying to build support for climate action.

Climate Messaging

Case Study: Student Loan Cancellation Messaging

Can Democratic statements about student loan cancellation shift public opinion? Grow Progress tests Biden, Warren, Warnock, and Schumer's messages.

Student Loans

The Effects of Steve Kerr's Remarks on Gun Violence

After Steve Kerr's viral postgame remarks on gun violence following Uvalde, Grow Progress measured whether his words actually moved public opinion.

Steve Kerr

No results for this filter.