Founded in 1995, Global Strategy Group is a public relations, research, and political polling firm based in New York. It also operates in five other offices, located in Washington, D.C.; Hartford, Connecticut; Denver; Chicago; and Seattle.

The firm is a major consultant to Democrats, organizations on the political left, and large corporations with political interests at stake. ¹ It maintains a long list of prominent clients, including lawmakers in both chambers of the United States Congress, Priorities USA Action, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Google, General Motors, and Pfizer. ² It is associated with Navigator Research, a Sixteen Thirty Fund project.

Background

Jon Silvan founded Global Strategy Group in 1995, initially operating the business from his late grandmother’s apartment in New York. Later in that year, Silvan met Jefrey Pollock, who owned Strategic Research Team. The two men joined forces, and Pollock folded Strategic Research Team into Global Strategy Group. ³

The firm specializes in polling, public relations, consulting, focus groups, and research. ⁴ A New York State political consultant has described GSG as “the premier Democratic political polling firm” to the New York Times. ⁵ In addition, it is “one of the top” consultants for businesses and lobbying groups in New York. ⁶

Activities

Global Strategy Group has been involved with several local, state, and national political campaigns across the country, with significant activity New York State. ⁷

It was the campaign pollster for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D), who was re-elected in 2018. ⁸ Cuomo has been a longtime client of the firm, going back to when he ran for New York state attorney general. ⁹

In the run-up to the 2012 presidential election, Priorities USA Action hired Global Strategy Group to develop political advertisements that would help boost President Barack Obama’s chance of winning a second term. The firm produced “highly targeted” videos, criticizing Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s business record, “featuring former workers telling stories of lost livelihoods due to Romney’s Bain Capital in nine key battleground states.” In the election, Obama beat Romney in every one of these targeted states. ¹⁰

As of 2019, Global Strategy Group has multiple clients in both chambers of the United States Congress. It currently works for 20 Democrats who serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, including Bill Foster (D-IL) Dwight Evans (D-PA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), and Val Demings (D-FL). Meanwhile, the firm has three clients in the U.S. Senate: Tom Carper (D-DE), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Joe Manchin (D-WV); former U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN) was also a client of GSG. ¹¹

During the 2018 Democratic primary, Global Strategy Group conducted the polling for then-U.S. Representative Joseph Crowley (D-NY), whose seat was being challenged by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Just a few weeks before the primary, the firm’s polling data had Crowley ahead of the “Democratic Socialist” by a 35-point margin. On the day of the primary, however, Ocasio-Cortez defeated the congressman by a 15-point margin. ¹²

Financials

Global Strategy Group has not publicly disclosed its annual revenues for over a decade. The most recent year for which this information was made available was 2008, when the firm collected approximately $20 million in annual revenue. ¹³

Financial data provided by the left-leaning Center for Responsive Politics shows that the company makes millions of dollars from doing business with political candidates and organizations. From January 2017 through November 2018, left-wing groups and political candidates paid Global Strategy Group more than $9.2 million for its services; its biggest clients during that period were the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the Senate Majority PAC, and the House Majority PAC. ¹⁴

Leadership

The founding partners of Global Strategy Group, Jon Silvan and Jefrey Pollock, are the company’s top two leaders. Silvan is the CEO of the firm, and Pollock serves as the company’s president. ¹⁵

1. “2018 Global Public Affairs Agencies of the Year.” The Holmes Report. Accessed February 12, 2019. https://www.holmesreport.com/events-awards/agencies-of-the-year/2018-agencies-of-the-year/global-pr-agencies-of-the-year-2018/public-affairs-agencies-of-the-year.
2. “Clients.” Global Strategy Group. Accessed February 11, 2019. http://www.globalstrategygroup.com/clients/.
3. Horowitz, Jason. “The Ballad of Josh, Jef and Howard.” Observer. August 18, 2009. Accessed February 12, 2019. https://observer.com/2009/08/the-ballad-of-josh-jef-and-howard/.
4. “Expertise.” Global Strategy Group. Accessed February 11, 2019. http://www.globalstrategygroup.com/area-of-expertise/.
5. Confessore, Nicholas. “In Consulting Group, Hints of How Albany Works.” The New York Times. September 28, 2008. Accessed February 11, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/29/nyregion/29global.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin.
6. Confessore, Nicholas. “In Consulting Group, Hints of How Albany Works.” The New York Times. September 28, 2008. Accessed February 11, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/29/nyregion/29global.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin.
7. “Clients.” Global Strategy Group. Accessed February 11, 2019. http://www.globalstrategygroup.com/clients/.
8. Lovett, Kenneth. “LOVETT: Potential Leftist Surge in New York Could Be Tough for Polls to Pick up – NY Daily News.” New York Daily News. July 2, 2018. Accessed February 11, 2019. https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-pol-polls-cuomo-nixon-20180701-story.html.
9. Confessore, Nicholas. “In Consulting Group, Hints of How Albany Works.” The New York Times. September 28, 2008. Accessed February 11, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/29/nyregion/29global.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin.
10. “The Digital Campaign to Re-Elect President Obama.” Global Strategy Group. Accessed February 11, 2019. http://www.globalstrategygroup.com/case-studies/priorities-usa-action-the-digital-campaign-to-re-elect-president-obama/.
11. “Clients.” Global Strategy Group. Accessed February 11, 2019. http://www.globalstrategygroup.com/clients/.
12. Lovett, Kenneth. “LOVETT: Potential Leftist Surge in New York Could Be Tough for Polls to Pick up – NY Daily News.” New York Daily News. July 2, 2018. Accessed February 11, 2019. https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-pol-polls-cuomo-nixon-20180701-story.html.
13. Confessore, Nicholas. “In Consulting Group, Hints of How Albany Works.” The New York Times. September 28, 2008. Accessed February 11, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/29/nyregion/29global.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin.
14. “Vendor/Recipient: Global Strategy Group.” OpenSecrets.org. Accessed February 11, 2019. https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2018&vendor=Global Strategy Group.
15. “Team.” Global Strategy Group. Accessed February 11, 2019. http://www.globalstrategygroup.com/team/.