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| Harris Insights & Analytics | |
|---|---|
| Name | Harris Insights & Analytics |
| Type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Market research |
| Founded | 1956 |
| Founder | Louis Harris |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Area served | Global |
| Parent | Stagwell Inc. |
Harris Insights & Analytics is an American market research and polling firm known for national public opinion surveys, corporate research, and brand analytics. Founded by Louis Harris, the company evolved through corporate transactions and strategic partnerships to become a subsidiary of a private equity and marketing holding company. Its work has influenced political campaigns, corporate strategy, and media reporting across the United States and internationally.
Louis Harris founded the firm in 1956 after earlier engagements with John F. Kennedy, Adlai Stevenson II, Dwight D. Eisenhower, The New York Times, and Time (magazine), establishing an early reputation in political polling. The company’s methods were employed in presidential cycles involving Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. Through the late 20th century it engaged with organizations such as AT&T, General Electric, Ford Motor Company, and The Washington Post. In 2014 the firm was part of a transaction involving Nielsen Holdings, which later divested a unit to Stagwell Group and associated investors including Philip M. Cohen and Mark Penn. Over ensuing years it interfaced with media outlets like ABC News, NBC News, CBS News, The Wall Street Journal, and global firms such as Ipsos and Kantar Group on methodological and commercial initiatives.
The firm provides a suite of services including national polling, consumer segmentation, brand tracking, and customer experience measurement used by clients like Procter & Gamble, Walmart, Amazon (company), Verizon Communications, and Samsung Electronics. It offers syndicated products and custom studies for sectors represented by Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, ExxonMobil, and The Coca-Cola Company as well as public-sector engagements with entities such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state-level administrations. The company’s product set spans online panels, telephone surveys, omnibus research, and analytics platforms comparable to offerings from Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, and GfK SE.
The firm employs probability and non-probability sampling, weighting protocols, and questionnaire design informed by standards from organizations including American Association for Public Opinion Research, Pew Research Center, and academic partners at institutions like Columbia University, Harvard University, and Stanford University. Its multimode approach integrates landline and mobile telephone interviewing, online panel recruitment, and address-based sampling techniques similar to those used by Gallup (company), YouGov, and Ipsos MORI. Analytic methods incorporate regression modeling, Bayesian techniques, and psychometric scaling aligned with practices in publications from Journal of the American Statistical Association, Public Opinion Quarterly, and The Lancet for health-related surveys.
Clients span advertising agencies such as Ogilvy, McCann Erickson, and BBDO Worldwide, major broadcasters including Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC, and multinational corporations across Fortune 500 sectors. The firm’s polling has informed campaign strategy for figures linked to Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and state governors, while corporate research guided brand positioning for firms like Nike, Disney, and Sony Corporation. Its market intelligence contributed to policy discussions featuring think tanks such as Brookings Institution, American Enterprise Institute, and international bodies including World Health Organization and World Bank.
Originally privately held by its founder and later through various corporate entities, the company became part of Nielsen Holdings divisions before being acquired by Stagwell Inc. as part of a wider consolidation in marketing services. Its ownership structure connects to investment firms and media entrepreneurs similar to transactions involving WPP plc, Omnicom Group, and Interpublic Group. Executive leadership has included figures who previously worked at organizations such as Edelman (agency), Burson-Marsteller, and academic posts at New York University.
The firm has faced scrutiny over polling accuracy in close elections and debates comparable to controversies surrounding The Literary Digest poll (1936), 2016 United States presidential election polling errors, and methodological disputes involving Harris Interactive competitors. Critics from outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and commentators at FiveThirtyEight have questioned weighting choices, likely voter models, and nonresponse bias. Legal and ethical discussions have paralleled disputes in the industry involving data privacy and third-party panel management seen in cases connected to Cambridge Analytica and regulatory oversight by Federal Trade Commission.
The company and its personnel have received industry recognition from entities like the American Association for Public Opinion Research, Market Research Society, and advertising award programs affiliated with Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Leadership and analysts have been cited in academic journals and mainstream media including The Washington Post, The Economist, and Forbes for contributions to polling methodology, brand analytics, and applied social research.
Category:Market research companies of the United States