Acxiom(R) Research Gives Candidates Insight to Swing State Voters
September 16 2008 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
Acxiom� Corporation (Nasdaq: ACXM) today announced the findings of
a study identifying the distinct characteristics of swing state
voters. The study, titled �The Purple States � Why They Affect
Elections,� lays out what the presidential candidates should focus
on in order to win these critical votes. The study shows that
contrary to red and blue states that have similarities across the
lifestyle segments specific to each, purple states are much more
varied � a possible reason why elections in these states are so
close. The findings reveal definite patterns that both candidates
can leverage. �Today, it is more important than ever to target
messages to individual consumers,� said Ray Kraus, product manager
for Acxiom. �Once the correct targets have been identified, the
next step is to determine the most germane message possible. In
this case, the content of the correspondence must resonate with the
voter so that the candidate�s position on the issue is heard above
the other noise of the day.� The purple states document illustrated
a process to identify targets and define communications strategies
in the political context; however, the same principles and
techniques can be used across all marketing initiatives. Acxiom
found that the purple segments are more likely to be older than the
other groups, own homes in the suburbs, and be planning for
retirement. Their only nest egg tends to be an IRA, which may
affect their views on Social Security. Furthermore, their spending
on prescription drugs is higher than the other groups, and
therefore they are more likely to be concerned about the quality
and affordability of publicly financed health care. Additionally,
those in the purple segment tend to get their news from newspapers
and television news programs such as Fox News and CNN. The blue
segments are likely to watch CNN but also tend to watch CNBC and
MSNBC. The purple segment�s affinity for Fox News supports other
findings in this study that suggest they lean further to the right.
While the study indicates the segments that best represent purple
states are slightly more conservative, both parties can be
successful in swing states by accurately targeting the right
message to the right person. �By examining the affinities and
lifestyle choices of the blue, red and purple segments, the data
reveals that both parties have an opportunity to win over the
purple states,� said Kraus. �Republicans could influence purple
state voters by appealing to their right-leaning tendencies, such
as fiscal conservatism, while Democrats could successfully counter
these messages by speaking to the obvious economic and health care
issues. The candidate who crafts the right message to voters in
these states will most likely find himself in the White House in
January.� The findings of this study were developed by analyzing 70
lifestyle segments across the United States using Acxiom�s
PersonicX� market segmentation system. PersonicX determined the
demographic, attitudes, behaviors and interests that differentiated
voters in purple states from those who consistently vote Democratic
or Republican in presidential elections. About Acxiom The global
leader in interactive marketing services, Acxiom helps clients
connect with their customers through deep consumer insight that
enables effective and profitable marketing initiatives and business
decisions. Our consultative approach spans multiple industries and
incorporates decades of experience in consumer data and analytics,
information technology, data integration, and consulting solutions
for effective marketing across digital, Internet, email, mobile and
direct mail channels. Founded in 1969, Acxiom is headquartered in
Little Rock, Ark., and serves clients around the world from
locations in the United States, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. For
more information about Acxiom, visit www.acxiom.com. Acxiom is a
registered trademark of Acxiom Corporation. PersonicX� PersonicX�
is Acxiom�s household-level segmentation suite that places U.S.
households in one of 70 distinct segments and 21 life-stage groups
based upon specific consumer behavior and demographic
characteristics.
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