Developing Narrative through Deeper Understanding
The Deep Narrative Project conducts AI-assisted ethnographic research to help progressive organizations better understand Americans and influence their opinions. The long-term goal is to serve as a centralized housing of ethnographic and narrative resources for progressive entities across the country.
The missing why
Progressive causes have been studying the behavior of voters for a very long time. We’ve honed familiar tools, like polling and focus groups, and added new ones, like data analytics. But something is missing.
This is the most unsettled electorate in generations. Polls and focus groups give us a limited look into voters’ thoughts, but they can’t tell us why voters feel, act, and think the way that they do. It’s hard for us to understand voters’ behavior, and even harder to influence it.
Understanding voter behavior
We need different approach to uncover the missing why – a tool that goes deep enough to explore the roots of voters’ identities and uncover how core motives and attitudes shape their worldview and drive their behavior. Digital ethnography lets us discover why voters make the choices they make, what values and identities led to their opinions, and what stories shape their world.
Becoming part of voters’ stories to make campaigns more effective
Ethnography can help us to see inside voters’ own stories. Narrative brain science helps us translate that data into guidance about where progressive causes belong in that story. When we know our place in a voter’s story, we have the opportunity to win permission to be heard – and change the story.
We work with Altum Insight and partners – including polling and modeling specialists – to create AI-assisted ethnographic research programs and turn the results into actionable guidance.
Let’s talk!
Get in touch here for questions and collaboration opportunities.