A—B, a Black-owned strategic research company, has announced it has acquired Avalanche Insights, a polling and civic research firm.

The acquisition by A—B positions it to expand in the political landscape and reach more people of colour. It has previously developed campaigns for film studio A24, leading civil rights organization Legal Defense Fund, progressive political group Working Families Party, and social justice philanthropic organization Ford Foundation.

“People of colour are the fastest growing segment of consumers and we’re on track to be a majority of the electorate in just a few years. But despite billions in spending power and the ability to swing elections from the local school board to the White House, even the biggest brands and organizations struggle to find the tools and expertise to reach our communities consistently and authentically. A—B has acquired Avalanche to fill this gap and bring the next level of precision and innovation to multicultural marketing. Our clients and partners know that this change is no longer a choice — they must connect quickly, deeply and with nuance to diverse communities if they want breakthrough growth and impact,” Andre Banks, founder and CEO of A—B, said in a statement.

Banks added that Avalanche Insights’ proprietary research approach, which uses cognitive behavioural science methods, will help it partner with brands, progressive causes, and organizations to target 2024 U.S. election voters.

“Avalanche Insights’ deep-rooted research expertise will be a key differentiator for us, especially as we head into the 2024 election cycle when many clients are looking for quality data, polling, and voter audience analysis that can help them tap into the power of a rapidly diversifying electorate and deliver results,” Banks said.

A—B was founded in 2018 by Banks, a political communications executive with over two decades of experience. The company has offices in New York, Washington, D.C., and Toronto.

To date, A—B has worked with companies like Win Black, Amnesty International, Open Society Foundation, Highlander Institute, Aspen Institute, Mozilla Foundation, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and We Act for Environmental Justice.

Before starting A—B, he previously served as an executive vice president for social impact and philanthropy at BerlinRosen, a founding partner at Purpose, and a co-founder and executive director of All Out.

For Avalanche Insights, the merger will allow it to expand its offerings, says Tovah Paglaro, co-founder of Avalanche Insights.

"At Avalanche, our goal has always been to build power by using the strength of research to drive campaigns to victory. Inside A—B, Avalanche will now be able to offer more comprehensive services to help transformational leaders better understand people," she said in a statement. "We know that brands and organizations are challenged in reaching Black and brown audiences but A—B's unique Identity-Powered Design approach paired with Avalanche's innovative research model, will help organizations truly unlock the power of Black and Brown voices."

The new team will be led by head of research Sian Lewis, an experienced data scientist with a background in building research-backed narrative strategies. The company will now expand to 60 employees.

“…With the acquisition of Avalanche Insights, A—B is better equipped than ever to foster those connections and generate even more impact for our partners,” Lewis said. “As a Black woman, I’m immensely proud to work for a Black-owned company with women and people of colour in leadership that is flipping the script on what power is and who holds it.”