The problem
Campaigns that hope to shift attitudes succeed or fail on how people think, not just what they think
Too often organisations start with the arguments they already find most compelling, which won’t persuade sceptics, then test them in ways that can’t show what will really work, and use frames that quietly backfire outside the cause.
Our answer
Narratives that start from where people are
For over 30 years, we’ve given campaigners a clear picture of how their audiences really think about an issue, who can be won over, and which words, frames and arguments will actually persuade.
You come away with tested campaign narratives, the language, proofs and messengers to bring them to life, and the knowledge that they’ll hold up against the counter-arguments and attacks they’ll meet in the real world.
Why campaign research disappoints
Too often, the message that emerges is… fine
The wrong inputs
The people inside a cause are, almost by definition, the least typical audience for it, and their most “helpful” facts can backfire.
Research that can’t hear anything new
Put eight strangers in a room with a moderator and people present a tidier version of themselves. It’s often the acceptable answer that hides the real barriers.
Testing that rewards the mediocre
Lines rated one by one by mixed groups lose anything distinctive, and the group settles on whatever offends least.
Nobody shares the vision
A debrief deck, however good, changes very few minds, and within months the old language creeps back.
Our approach means your team builds that story alongside the people you need to reach, so the biggest pay-off is a narrative the whole organisation believes in and can tell with confidence.
The benefits
What our campaign approach delivers
- A deep understanding of how people really think about, make sense of and connect with your issue.
- Campaign narratives that start from where people are, and a story the whole organisation believes in.
- A clear focus on what you need to change and who you most need to reach, agreed with you and your agencies.
- Research designed around your theory of change, so it helps you build compelling messages, not just test them.
- Audiences grouped by mindset, not just demographics, so ideas are built up by people who share values and stress-tested by those who don’t.
- Expertise in behaviour change, framing, psychology and narrative, so no opportunity is missed and everything is properly evaluated.
How it works
KSBR Live: our key proprietary approach
KSBR Live uncovers how people really think, sparks ambitious ideas and gets everyone behind one narrative.
01 · Workstage 1
Unmediated Listening. Mapping the frames.
We start with unguarded, wide-ranging conversations in which people reveal what they really think and feel. Participants film themselves at home with a partner or friend, debating KSBR ‘Conundrums’ such as “I’d love to (X), but I’m always aware that (Y)”.
02 · Workstage 2
Walking in their shoes. Idea generation.
Members of your team are each paired with a hand-picked participant and asked to project themselves into that person’s life. At a facilitated workshop they develop the narratives, language and proofs that would connect with ‘their’ person.
03 · Workstage 3
KSBR HotHouse. Crystallising the story.
We turn your team’s ideas into rounded narratives and train the people who will make the campaign in non-directive interviewing. In a KSBR HotHouse they test those narratives with groups who share an outlook, against real counter-arguments, and at the wash-up we agree the story: there and then.
Thought piece
Third sector success: listening before talking
