About Crantford Research
Research, refined into action
For over 25 years, we have helped campaigns, corporations, law firms, and organizations across the Southeast understand their audiences and act on what they learn.
25 years of South Carolina research
"Listening to the voice of the customer brings a powerful dimension to every decision."
Crantford Research · Est. 1998
Crantford Research was founded in Columbia, South Carolina in 1998. From the beginning, our work has been grounded in a single conviction: that the best decisions are made by people who understand their audiences — not people who assume they do.
Over 25 years, we have built one of the most experienced public opinion research operations in the state. We have conducted polling and focus groups for political campaigns at every level, corporations navigating public affairs challenges, law firms preparing for trial, and advocacy organizations working to change minds and move policy.
We also field SCIndex, our quarterly nonpartisan poll of registered South Carolina voters — an independent read on where the state stands on the issues that matter most.
Our work has expanded beyond research into message strategy and targeted delivery. Signal Path, our proprietary channel-targeting methodology, maps audiences to the specific media channels where they actually are — so the messages we help develop reach the people who need to hear them.
We are based in Columbia, South Carolina and work primarily across the Southeastern United States.
The principles behind the work
Research first, always
We do not start with a message and work backward. We start with the audience — what they believe, what they value, what will move them — and build from there.
Rigor over speed
Good research takes the time it takes. We do not cut corners on methodology because the decisions that follow are too consequential to rest on weak data.
Clarity over complexity
Our job is to make the complicated clear. We translate research findings into strategic guidance that clients can act on — not reports that sit on a shelf.
Independence matters
We tell clients what the research shows, not what they want to hear. That independence is what makes our work valuable — and what has kept clients coming back for 25 years.
Clients who need to know before they act
Our clients share a common need: they are making consequential decisions and they want those decisions grounded in research, not assumption. We work with organizations across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors — primarily in South Carolina and the Southeastern United States.
- Political campaigns — statewide, legislative, and local
- Corporations navigating public affairs challenges
- Law firms preparing for trial
- Advocacy organizations and nonprofits
- Media organizations and news outlets
- Trade associations and industry groups
Let's talk about your project
Tell us what you're working on. We'll tell you how research can help.
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