As marketers, we appreciate the need for conducting accurate research whether it’s for an opinion poll about a product or to gauge the mood of voters for a candidate or issue during local and national elections.

A recent U.S. government survey throws a wrench into the usual telephone survey methodology. The study estimates that up to 17 percent of adults have ditched their landline phones, nearly doubling the trend of cell-only users since 2003. Another recent survey by The Pew Research Center reports 23 percent of landline users say they are “very or somewhat likely” to go cell-only.

Both of these studies present considerable challenges for researchers conducting public opinion polls – whether it’s a news organization striving to obtain an accurate snapshot of how people are going to vote, or for thousands of corporations that depend heavily on market research for product development.

With cell-only users significantly less accessible than landline respondents, many in the public opinion research community wonder if the polls conducted this election season are reflecting true voting trends, especially among the 18 to 29 age group, which represents the largest portion of cell-only users.

To address this issue, the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press conducted three major election surveys using cell phone, landline, and “dual user” samples. Each survey resulted in small but not statistically significant differences compared to the polls by major news and research organizations. However, the younger age group – the largest proportion of cell-only users – showed a consistent pattern of more support for Obama. This raises an important question for pollsters about whether or not the difficulty in reaching the younger demographic group will impact their expected results on Election Day.

“Even though the omission of cell phones from election polls does not currently make a large difference in the substantive results, Pew’s surveys this year suggest at least the possibility of a small bias in landline surveys. Such a bias could be consequential in an election that appears to be very competitive right now, especially if significant numbers of young people turn out to vote.” ( http://pewresearch.org/pubs/964/).

The challenge in obtaining information from cell-only users will only increase as more households become wireless. The biggest obstacles facing researchers right now are associated with costs, as federal law prohibits automated dialing to cell phones. Another costly factor is the time involved reaching eligible respondents since many children carry cell phones and random calls will frequently reach those under voting age. Polling organizations may also have to prepare to reimburse respondents to answer questions, as cell phone users pay for airtime and may be reluctant to stay on the line.

Political and market researchers are anticipating how the outcome on Nov. 4 will reflect the polling data and what changes will have to be made in reaching a balanced proportion of Americans for future surveys. We in marketing should all keep a careful eye on the election results tomorrow as they are measured against the polling data, which could very well influence how we move forward with our own market research projects.

Editors and reporters have less and less time to listen to press pitches and a few precious moments to scan news releases. They’re wearing multiple hats, working on unforgiving deadlines – especially as news organizations continue to lay off employees.

Every second counts when pitching the press these days, which is why at CCA we’ve developed an e-media kit.

Our e-media kit is an innovative way to open doors to newsrooms. It presents an easy and fast way for an editor to get a comprehensive snapshot of a news opportunity, providing everything from a client’s current news release, to FAQs and company history, to recent news clips, to management bios and head shots, and the company logo. In short, everything you would put in a traditional printed media kit, plus video clips and sound bites! All of it ready to download in seconds.

I was on the phone with a producer for a national broadcast news program last week. She initially said she didn’t have time to talk to me, but I asked her to log on to our client’s e-media kit, and we were soon in conversation. Our new approach converted “no time” to “tell me more.”

We’ve designed our e-media kit along the line of a web site’s home page, displaying branding and links to top line information and resources, and news releases and fact sheets, and video clips in an attractive design that fills the screen without the need to scroll. Reporters instantly see everything they might need, right at their finger tips.

This innovation has proved so useful that we expect it quickly to become the norm. And it’s no coincidence that we developed the first one for an alternative energy client—-eliminating the need for paper and printing required for a traditional press kit.

No folders. No stuffing. No postage. No sealing yucky tasting envelopes. No rushing to the post office. No reprinting to fix typos or to update information. Send it out 24/7, anywhere in the world. An unlimited supply. The digital media kit is here it’s all good.

I know that many people will roll their eyes at the news of another company, or product “going green.”  Green has evolved from the color of a friendly frog on T.V to the ultimate buzz word. 

At CCA we had a few employees who cared enough to really get the company moving towards this eden of “green.”  The thought was that small businesses create so much waste, and use much more energy than a typical household.  As a marketing firm we were using massive amounts of paper, and ink, as well as the typical energy costs of printers, computers, heating, hot water, lights, phones, and much more.  Cutting down on waste isn’t easy or cheap….but it is very effective.

CCA’s first step was to implement a recycling program.  Paper, cans, bottles, cardboard, and all the usual things that get thrown away at a business are now being collected and brought to recycling centers.  Our President, Bob Fields put new energy efficient windows in the building and had electricians install more efficient ballasts.  These changes, along with new insulation and energy efficient light bulbs have really made a dent in CCA’s power consumption and waste creation.

CCA employees have proactively led the charge and have taken the initial steps to ensure that we work with certified “green” vendors and recommend recycled materials to clients using direct mail and other paper-heavy marketing efforts.  There are a growing number of recycled and eco-friendly inks and papers that, while a little more expensive, make a huge difference in waste products and tree harvesting.

While these steps are not the secret answer to out environmental problems, we really believe that if all small businesses made a concerted effort to use less energy and make less waste, it would benefit us all.