PSB Insights

PSB

File:PSB Insights.svg
Company type	Public relations
Founded	1977 (1977)
Founder	Mark Penn and Douglas Schoen
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Christopher Frank, CEO
Services	Market research, strategic communications, advertising
Parent	WPP plc
Website	www.psbinsights.com

PSB Insights—originally known as Penn, Schoen & Berland—is a consulting firm established in 1977 by Mark Penn and Douglas Schoen.

History

Mark Penn and Douglas Schoen first crossed paths at Horace Mann School before both enrolling at Harvard University. In 1974, Schoen invited Penn to join Hugh Carey’s gubernatorial campaign in New York. The duo founded their firm in 1977, the same year they conducted polling for Ed Koch’s New York City mayoral bid. Their use of overnight tracking surveys and computer-assisted analysis was groundbreaking, shaping media tactics that contributed to Koch’s electoral success. Throughout the 1980s, the company provided services to Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and introduced technological advances such as computerized polling and specialists in direct mail that transformed political campaign strategies.

The addition of Michael Berland in 1990 led to the firm's renaming as Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates. During the 1990s, PSB broadened its client base to include corporate sectors while continuing its political consulting work, notably advising President Bill Clinton on communication strategies and his 1996 reelection efforts.

In November 2001, PSB was acquired by London-based media giant WPP plc. Subsequently, the firm launched a media and entertainment division and integrated into Burson-Marsteller under the Young & Rubicam umbrella.

Leadership changes occurred in July 2012 when Mark Penn exited; Donald A. Baer took over, followed by Jay Leveton serving as interim CEO starting in October. Peter Horst was appointed CEO in December 2019. By May 2020, the company rebranded itself as PSB Insights. Today, it operates globally with offices located in New York City, Washington D.C., Denver, Seattle, Los Angeles, London, and Dubai, employing a workforce exceeding 200 consultants.

Bill Clinton

In 1995, the Clinton administration engaged PSB to revamp its political strategy ahead of the 1996 election. The firm assisted in developing the "new Democrat" messaging and policy framework. Under Penn’s guidance, PSB helped formulate market-validated slogans such as "bridge to the 21st century." The consultancy was instrumental in updating Clinton’s platform during his successful reelection campaign. Time magazine honored Penn and Schoen as "Masters of the Message" for their strategic impact.

Throughout Clinton’s second term, PSB continued offering polling insights and strategic counsel. One notable poll influenced prioritizing Social Security within the 1997 budget surplus allocation, a focus highlighted in Clinton’s 1998 State of the Union address.

Michael Bloomberg

PSB played a key role in Michael Bloomberg's campaigns for New York City mayor in both 2001 and 2005. During the 2001 race, the firm carried out voter sentiment polling. For Bloomberg's 2005 re-election effort, PSB created what was described as "the most advanced database ever built for a city election," significantly improving the management of voter lists.

Tony Blair

In 2005, Penn provided strategic advice to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair during the general election, collaborating with the Labour Party to focus on traditional Conservative voters. This approach was instrumental in Labour achieving an unprecedented third consecutive term under Blair’s leadership.

Hillary Clinton

PSB’s initial engagement with Hillary Clinton occurred during her victorious 2000 campaign for New York’s junior Senate seat. Later, throughout the 2007–2008 Democratic presidential primary, PSB supported Clinton’s campaign by delivering polling, direct mail, and communications expertise. Penn acted as Clinton’s communications advisor, overseeing a team of 20 staff managing daily campaign operations. In April 2008, Penn resigned as chief strategist following revelations that he had met with Colombian officials to discuss a free-trade agreement opposed by Clinton; nonetheless, PSB continued to provide polling and strategic guidance for her campaign.

Venezuela

During Venezuela’s 2004 recall referendum on President Hugo Chávez, PSB conducted exit polls forecasting that 59% of voters favored recalling Chávez, whereas official results indicated that 58% opposed the recall. PSB leadership alleged electoral fraud based on their prior record of accurate exit polls in Venezuela. Despite international observers such as César Gaviria and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter endorsing the official results, opposition figures rejected them, citing PSB’s poll as evidence of manipulation.

Although the exit poll featured a large sample size with minimal sampling error, experts from the Center for Economic and Policy Research attributed discrepancies to differences in survey methodology rather than fraud. PSB faced criticism for hiring members of the anti-Chávez organization Súmate to conduct fieldwork. The firm maintained that any irregularities were related to the voting process itself rather than flaws in their polling. Subsequently, Penn replaced Schoen as PSB’s representative in Venezuela.

Other campaigns and elections

In 1999, PSB carried out polling in Serbia on behalf of the National Democratic Institute to support democratic challengers opposing Slobodan Milošević. The data revealed widespread voter dissatisfaction with Milošević and forecasted his probable defeat, aligning with U.S. expectations regarding the election outcome.

In Ukraine’s 2004 presidential election, PSB was responsible for conducting an exit poll commissioned by ICTV television. Additionally, in Italy’s 2006 election, PSB polled for Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party; their final surveys indicated a tie between Berlusconi and opposition leader Romano Prodi. Other firms predicted a five-point lead for Prodi, with official results confirming Prodi’s narrow win by less than 0.1%.

PSB’s South Asia division—headed by Ashwani Singla, former CEO of Genesis Burson-Marsteller and Asia Pacific Board Member—served as pollster for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Conducting over three hundred thousand interviews across three rounds of polling, PSB contributed to crafting a campaign strategy that helped BJP achieve its first single-party majority government in three decades.

Corporate work

PSB applies its extensive experience in political campaigns to offer research, strategic guidance, and communications services to a wide range of Fortune 500 corporations. Prominent clients in the corporate sector include AT&T, Ford, McDonald’s, Citibank, Facebook, and Microsoft.

Significant corporate engagements

In 1993, PSB assisted AT&T in enhancing its advertising approach to better compete with MCI Inc.. Research uncovered previously untapped market segments, such as immigrant populations making international calls, which led AT&T to develop customized marketing efforts targeting these groups.

Microsoft has maintained a client relationship with PSB since the 1990s. PSB provided strategic counsel to Bill Gates during the 2000 campaign opposing the U.S. Justice Department's anti-trust breakup order and conducted vital consumer opinion research following the case.

Amidst negative attention from the documentary Super Size Me in 2004, PSB evaluated consumer attitudes toward McDonald's in the UK. The study highlighted concerns about food quality, guiding the company to launch a targeted advertising campaign addressing these issues.

From the early 1990s onward, PSB has carried out fan surveys for Major League Baseball. The insights contributed to structural adjustments such as expanded playoff formats and interleague competition. In 1997, PSB's research revealed broad fan approval for geographic realignment of teams.

During 2009–2010, PSB’s research for Ford concentrated on in-vehicle electronics. A 2009 survey indicated that 93% of respondents supported a nationwide ban on texting while driving. The following year, Ford introduced technology enabling parents to limit explicit radio content for teen drivers, based on PSB’s findings. Prior to the 2015 redesign of the F-150 featuring an aluminum body, PSB helped develop messaging that emphasized “military-grade aluminum alloys,” positioning Ford’s best-selling truck as the toughest in its category.

Entertainment and media

Established in 2001, PSB’s entertainment and media division provides research services to magazine publishers, film studios, and video game companies. Its capabilities include marketing positioning analysis, test screenings, focus groups, creative advertising evaluation, and box office performance tracking. In 2012, PSB broadened this area by acquiring First Movies International, strengthening its market research expertise. Key clients include Disney, Paramount Pictures, and Condé Nast; notably, PSB conducted research to select the name for Condé Nast’s former business publication, Condé Nast Portfolio.

Aspen Institute collaborations

PSB has collaborated with the Aspen Institute and the Aspen Ideas Festival on various public opinion research projects. In 2011, working alongside Time magazine and the Aspen Institute, PSB surveyed Americans about their perspectives on the decade following the September 11 attacks. The subsequent year, it carried out polls regarding public attitudes toward the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act for The Atlantic and the Aspen Institute. These initiatives illustrate PSB’s involvement in prominent public research efforts that inform policy debates.

Global Corporate Reputation Index

In 2012, PSB introduced its "Global Corporate Reputation Index" at the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland. This index ranked the top 25 consumer companies by reputation based on research conducted in partnership with Burson-Marsteller, Landor Associates, and Brand Asset Consulting. The study encompassed 40,000 interviews across six countries and evaluated nearly 6,000 corporations.

Arab Youth Survey

For more than ten years, ASDA’A, BCW, and PSB have collaborated to deliver insightful data through the Arab Youth Survey. This yearly research gathers perspectives from Arab individuals aged 18 to 24 across 15 countries and territories, conducting 3,300 in-person interviews. The findings assist both public institutions and private enterprises in making informed strategic choices.

Selected awards

Mark Penn, the founder and prominent leader of the company, received the Pollster of the Year honor from the American Association of Political Consultants in both 1996 and 2000, recognizing outstanding achievements in political polling. PSB has secured numerous accolades over the years, including a 2008 Telly Award for Dominion’s "Every Day" Campaign, a 2009 Pollie Award for Hillary Clinton’s "3AM" television spot, and a 2011 Reed Award for Best Radio Advertisement awarded by Campaigns and Elections magazine. In 2012, PSB was honored with the distinguished David Ogilvy Award from the Advertising Research Foundation for its contributions to "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never," underscoring its expertise in advertising research and campaign impact.

External links

Official website