Nanos Research

Nanos Research
Name	Nanos Research
Type	Private
Industry	Polling and Public Opinion Research
Founded	1987
Founder	Nik Nanos
Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Key people	Nik Nanos
Services	Public opinion polling, market research, strategic communications

Nanos Research Nanos Research is a Canadian public opinion and polling firm founded in 1987 by Nik Nanos. The firm conducts opinion research for political parties, media organizations, corporations, and non-profit organizations across Canada and internationally. It is known for frequent national and provincial polling and for advising clients on campaign strategy, message testing, and market segmentation.

History

Founded in 1987 by Nik Nanos, the firm emerged during a period marked by the aftermath of the Meech Lake Accord and the politics surrounding the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement. Early clients included media outlets covering federal elections such as the 1988 Canadian federal election and institutions interested in public sentiment during events like the Gulf War. In the 1990s the company expanded alongside shifts in Canadian politics during the Charlottetown Accord debates and the rise of parties such as the Reform Party of Canada and the Bloc Québécois. Through the 2000s and 2010s the firm provided polling around major events including the 2008 Canadian federal election, the 2015 Canadian federal election, and provincial campaigns in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. The firm also tracked public opinion during international moments such as the 2008 United States presidential election and the Brexit referendum.

Services and Methodology

Nanos Research offers services including daily tracking polls, telephone and online surveys, focus groups, and strategic consulting for clients like broadcasters, political parties, and corporations such as Bell Canada, Rogers Communications, and civil society groups like the Canadian Red Cross. Methodological approaches combine probability-based random digit dialing (RDD), mixed-mode online panels, and quota sampling used by peers such as Ipsos, Leger, and Ekos Research Associates. The firm reports weighting procedures that reference demographic benchmarks from agencies like Statistics Canada and employs question-design practices informed by standards used by organizations such as the American Association for Public Opinion Research and the British Polling Council. Nanos Research also engages in media research similar to work by Nielsen, and offers reputation measurement akin to services provided by Edelman's trust barometer.

Notable Polls and Findings

Nanos Research released frequent national polls during the 1993 Canadian federal election that tracked the collapse of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and the rise of the Liberal Party of Canada under Jean Chrétien. The firm produced polling during leadership contests for parties including the Conservative Party of Canada, the New Democratic Party, and the Liberal Party of Canada around figures such as Stephen Harper, Justin Trudeau, and Jagmeet Singh. In provincial contexts, the firm published influential polls for campaigns involving premiers like Doug Ford, Rachel Notley, and François Legault. Internationally, Nanos Research conducted voter-intention studies ahead of the 2016 United States presidential election and tracked public reaction to the Syria civil war and the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. Its daily tracking during federal campaigns often informed coverage by media partners such as The Globe and Mail, CBC, and CTV News.

Controversies and Criticism

Polling firms including Nanos Research have faced scrutiny about margins of error and weighting choices after incorrect projections in contests like the 2015 Canadian federal election and unpredicted outcomes in the 2016 United States presidential election. Critics aligned with outlets such as The New York Times and commentators from The Economist have debated the limitations of telephone-based RDD versus online panels offered by companies like SurveyMonkey. Accusations in some quarters concerned transparency about client lists—a criticism leveled historically at pollsters including Gallup and Pew Research Center—and debates over question wording that resemble disputes raised around polls from YouGov and Ipsos Reid. The firm has defended its methods by referencing peer-reviewed standards and methodological disclosures used by research institutions such as RAND Corporation.

Corporate Structure and Leadership

Founded and led by Nik Nanos, the firm operates as a private company headquartered in Ottawa with offices and partnerships serving markets across Canada and internationally. Leadership at the firm has included senior researchers and consultants with experience in political strategy, media relations, and market research comparable to professionals who have moved between organizations like Edelman, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, and Burson-Marsteller. The company contracts with academics and statisticians affiliated with universities such as Carleton University and University of Toronto for methodological consultation and occasionally collaborates with policy institutes like the Munk School of Global Affairs.

Reception and Impact

Nanos Research has been cited widely in Canadian media outlets including CBC News, Global News, and The Globe and Mail and has influenced campaign strategy for parties such as the Liberal Party of Canada and the Conservative Party of Canada. Its daily tracking model contributed to the proliferation of continuous polling observed also at organizations like FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics in the United States. Academics studying electoral behaviour at institutions such as Queen's University and McGill University have referenced Nanos data in analyses of Canadian voting patterns. Despite methodological debates common to the polling industry exemplified by discussions involving Gallup and Pew Research Center, the firm remains a recurrent source for broadcasters and political operatives seeking timely public-opinion measurement.

Category:Polling organizations Category:Companies of Canada