Resources
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In the 2022 midterms, we partnered with Priorities on a field experiment designed to answer two questions:
What is the impact of persuasion messaging on turnout?
More broadly, what is the impact of digital advertising on Latino voters?
To answer these questions, we worked with the digital experts at Priorities to design and execute a series of experiments - two panel tests and an in-field randomized controlled trial (RCT). The panel test results were used to inform the creative strategy for the field program.
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Equis conducted research in partnership with A/B Partners and Senate Majority PAC. This research tackled the challenges in reaching and persuading Latinos voters who predominantly speak English and consume English-language media.
These findings share evidence-based messaging and communication guidelines for effectively communicating with and persuading English-dominant Latinos that connects, resonates, and wins in Senate battleground races.
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In the final weeks of the 2024 election, we tested several videos in English and Spanish among Latino voters across the US. We worked with Swayable to test 7 videos using randomized controlled trial (RCT) survey experiments to see which was best at shifting Harris vote choice, vote intent, linked fate, and perceptions that Democrats care about “people like you.” We tested videos about abortion in Spanish, sports metaphors, and dictators.
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We tested multiple positive, contrast, and negative immigration messages with Blue Rose Research to see which was best at shifting Biden vote choice. These messages were tested in English only. The test ran from March 28 to April 5 in AZ, CO, FL, GA, MI, NV, NM, NC, OH, PA, TX, and WI. We collected a total of 17,098 survey responses, with over 60% of responses coming from Latinos.
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After two new executive actions from the Biden-Harris administration, we tested multiple positive, contrast, and negative immigration messages with Blue Rose Research to see which was best at shifting Harris vote choice. These messages were tested in English and Spanish. The English-language test ran from July 10 to July 23 and the Spanish-language test ran from July 11 to August 1. Both tests were conducted in AZ, CO, FL, GA, MI, NV, NM, NC, OH, PA, TX, and WI. We collected a total of 10,282 English survey responses (5,467 from Latino respondents) and 7,168 Spanish responses (from Latinos only).
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We tested 12 Kamala Harris messages with Swayable using randomized controlled trial (RCT) survey experiments to see which was best at shifting Harris vote choice. These messages were tested in English and Spanish. The tests ran from July 22 to July 26 nationally (excluding CA and NY). We collected a total of 22,289 responses, with 15,962 English responses and 6,327 Spanish responses.
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The language edition of the Playbook makes the case for increased investment in Spanish-language outreach to more than just the Spanish-dominant. It answers questions like:
What is the role of Spanish outreach in a campaign? Is it just about being understood, or can it signal care and investment?
How broadly should we target Spanish content? Does Spanish ever backlash?
What is the role of bilingual or Spanglish content? What styles work, and for whom?
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Equis’ Latino Playbook includes research and recommendations for:
Mobilization messaging
Messengers and content styles
Spanish, bilingual and Spanglish communications
Targeting Latinos online
Selecting geographies for Latino outreach
Media consumption
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Equis’ Latino Playbook includes research and recommendations for:
Persuasion and mobilization messaging
Messengers and content styles
Spanish, bilingual and Spanglish communications
Targeting Latinos online
Selecting geographies for Latino outreach
Media consumption
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In October 2023, Equis Labs partnered with Somos Votantes and Data for Progress on a MaxDiff messaging poll to better understand the best application of the Winning Jobs Narrative framework with Latino voters, in both English and Spanish.
The MaxDiff results revealed two major takeaways:
The Winning Jobs Narrative framework continues to be effective with Latino and non-Latino audiences, in both English and Spanish.
Inclusive language is best for persuading Latino voters. Message frames that were directed at “working people, including Latinos” consistently outperformed message frames directed exclusively at Latino voters.
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At Equis we are frequently asked how Latino audiences respond to an increasing variety of media and cultural content — outside of news — and whether the shows people watch or music they listen to might reveal important insights for better capturing Latino attention.
Equis Institute, in collaboration with Harmony Labs, has created a segmentation that gives ad makers, creators, and storytellers the power to understand the diverse demography and behaviors of Latinos in the US as well as the characters, values, and stories to which different clusters of Latinos gravitate.
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To engage Latinos well, campaigns and organizations must first understand where Latinos consume news and information. Media consumption data can help practitioners answer important questions to shape their voter contact programs. The report helps answer several important questions like:
What do Latino audiences watch/consume?
What platforms should we be focusing on for organic digital content?
What kind of Latinos consume TV news vs. digital news?
Who do we miss if we run a basic digital program (YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram only)?
Where are Spanish dominants consuming news outside of Spanish-language TV and radio?
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To engage Latinos well, campaigns and organizations must first understand where Latinos consume news and information.
Media consumption data can help practitioners answer questions like:
What does my audience watch/consume?
Where should I be targeting my message?
How do I reach “hard to reach” subgroups?
Which audiences am I missing with my current approach/tactics?
What sites or placements should I include in my digital media plan?
Should I be investing in Spanish radio?
What platforms should I be investing in for organic digital content?
Is it better to spend more on fewer platforms or to be on as many platforms as possible?
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For too long, Spanish-dominants have been treated like pure mobilization targets. Voters who exclusively or mostly speak Spanish (Spanish-dominants) are often only shown messaging that pushes them to vote on Election Day. Our research highlights the need for more investment in Spanish persuasion to Spanish speakers.
With this in mind, we have created this resource with best practices for communicating with Latino voters in Spanish.
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Earlier this year, Equis partnered with Grow Progress to test the impact of incorporating Latino visual cues in English-language ads. We found that videos that included cultural cues outperformed videos that did not, even when the messaging and other elements were held constant. You can read more about the Latinos cues test in Equis’ Latino Playbook.
With less than a month until Election Day, we completed a second iteration of the Latinos cues test, this time with a new set of visual cues. These videos included ‘American,’ Latino, and a mix of both, cultural cues.
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Equis conducted research in partnership with at Somos Votantes and Priorities USA on effectively reaching and communicating with Latinos on YouTube.