Precision Strategies

Precision Strategies
Name	Precision Strategies
Type	Political consulting firm
Founded	2017
Founders	Anita Dunn; Jennifer O'Malley Dillon
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Key people	Anita Dunn; Jennifer O'Malley Dillon; Kristina Schake
Industry	Political consulting; strategic communications

Precision Strategies

Precision Strategies is a political consulting and strategic communications firm founded in 2017 and known for its involvement in American electoral politics, public affairs campaigns, and digital outreach. The firm combines campaign planning, advertising production, data analytics, and media relations to serve clients including political campaigns, non-profit organizations, and corporate actors. Its personnel have moved between roles in the White House, federal elections, and advocacy groups, connecting networks across Washington, D.C., state party organizations, and national media.

Definition and Scope

Precision Strategies is defined as a private firm operating at the intersection of political consulting, strategic communications, and digital advertising, offering services that include campaign strategy, message development, media buying, and rapid response. Its scope encompasses national and state-level campaigns such as presidential and congressional efforts, issue advocacy linked to organizations like the National Rifle Association, the American Civil Liberties Union, and public policy coalitions tied to the Democratic National Committee and state party committees. The firm’s leadership and staff have held prior positions in the Barack Obama administration, the Hillary Clinton presidential campaigns, and the Joe Biden presidential transition, creating client relationships with elected officials, political committees, and civic organizations.

Historical Development and Origins

Precision Strategies was established after the 2016 United States presidential election by operatives who participated in the Barack Obama White House and the Hillary Clinton 2016 campaign, aiming to consolidate post‑election strategy work into a private consulting model. Early roots trace to networks formed during the 2012 United States presidential election and institutional ties to the Democratic National Committee and state-level party apparatuses active in the 2018 United States midterm elections. The firm’s growth paralleled the increasing professionalization of digital advertising seen in the 2016 United Kingdom referendum, the 2016 United States presidential election, and subsequent campaign cycles where firms such as Cambridge Analytica and established agencies reconfigured political communications. Personnel moves between Precision Strategies and offices within the White House and federal agencies contributed to its profile during the 2020 United States presidential election and the 2021 United States presidential inauguration.

Methodologies and Techniques

The firm employs methodologies drawn from political science, data science, and media production, using targeted message testing, audience segmentation, and cross‑platform advertising buys across outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and cable networks like CNN and MSNBC. Tactical approaches include rapid response teams coordinating with communications staff from the White House and congressional offices, production of short‑form video content for platforms associated with Snapchat and TikTok, and A/B testing informed by analytics platforms developed in collaboration with vendors who serve campaigns for the United States Senate and state legislative contests. Precision Strategies integrates polling and modeling techniques similar to those used by academic centers such as the Harvard Kennedy School and organizations like the Pew Research Center, while coordinating messaging across surrogate networks including think tanks such as the Brookings Institution and advocacy groups like the League of Conservation Voters.

Applications by Domain

In electoral politics, the firm has provided services to presidential campaigns, congressional challengers, and gubernatorial races linked to networks like the Democratic Governors Association and state party committees active in the 2018 United States gubernatorial elections. In issue advocacy, its work has supported campaigns by non‑profits such as the Sierra Club and health coalitions aligned with the American Medical Association. In corporate public affairs, engagements have spanned crisis communications for corporations with legal exposure in cases adjudicated before the Supreme Court of the United States or subject to regulation by agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission. The firm’s media production has appeared in advertising campaigns purchased through exchanges used by broadcasters like NBCUniversal and digital platforms operated by Google.

Measurement and Evaluation

Evaluation of the firm’s impact typically uses metrics common to political campaigns and media buyers: impressions, click‑through rates, conversion measures tied to fundraising platforms like those used by the Federal Election Commission, and vote share changes measured against benchmarks from elections archived by organizations such as the Federal Election Commission and the Cook Political Report. Post‑campaign analysis often references survey undifferentiated measures developed by polling firms like SSRS and modeling comparisons using datasets maintained by the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research or the Praxis Strategy Group. Independent assessments of messaging effectiveness may appear in reporting by outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and trade publications focused on political advertising and digital strategy.

Ethical, Legal, and Social Considerations

Ethical debates surrounding the firm reflect broader controversies in political consulting: revolving‑door employment between private firms and public offices exemplified by transitions to positions in the White House or federal agencies, transparency in client disclosure compared to disclosure regimes administered by the Federal Election Commission, and data privacy concerns connected to targeted advertising practices regulated by statutes such as the California Consumer Privacy Act and subject to enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission. Social concerns involve the influence of consulting firms on electoral competition as examined in studies from the Brennan Center for Justice and critiques published in outlets like Politico and The Atlantic, while legal scrutiny can arise when campaign finance rules intersect with communications work overseen by the Federal Communications Commission.

Category:Political consulting firms in the United States