Clarity Engine is a strategic communications and research firm that helps leaders make better decisions and communicate with confidence. From custom polling and public opinion research to message testing, strategic planning, and crisis response, we combine data, human insight, and experience to help organizations navigate complex challenges and build lasting trust.
We exist to help leaders better understand people. We believe the best decisions begin with the clearest understanding of the human beings behind the data. Through original research, thoughtful analysis, and practical strategy, we explore the ideas shaping leadership, public opinion, and organizational success.
Our work connects evidence with action, helping leaders navigate complexity with confidence. We examine how trust is built, why people think the way they do, and what drives meaningful change. Whether in business, government, education, or nonprofit organizations, our mission is the same: to transform information into insight and insight into better decisions. At Clarity Engine, we believe understanding people is the most powerful advantage any leader can possess.
No two organizations face the same questions. That's why every Clarity Engine polling project is built from the ground up around your unique objectives. Whether you need to measure public opinion, test messages, understand customers, engage employees, or gather stakeholder feedback, we design custom research that delivers the answers you need. Every survey is tailored to your audience, your goals, and the decisions you need to make.
Data alone doesn't tell the whole story. Clarity Engine transforms polling results into clear, actionable insights that help leaders understand what people think, why they think it, and what it means for the decisions ahead. We identify the trends, motivations, and opportunities hidden within the data, providing practical recommendations that turn research into confident action.
Insight is only valuable when it leads to action. Clarity Engine transforms research and data-driven insights into customized strategies that help organizations move forward with confidence. Whether developing a communications plan, organizational strategy, stakeholder engagement approach, or long-term strategic roadmap, we create practical, evidence-based solutions tailored to your goals, audience, and challenges. Every strategy is built to help leaders make better decisions and achieve measurable results.
Strategy matters most when the stakes are highest. During times of uncertainty, every decision and every message can shape public trust. Clarity Engine provides research-driven crisis response strategies informed by years of experience serving nonprofit organizations, state government, and the federal government. Through message testing, stakeholder analysis, and a deep understanding of how Americans think and feel, we help leaders navigate complex situations with clarity, confidence, and credibility.
Dr. Brandon Tatum
Brandon Tatum is a nationally recognized strategist, researcher, and communications advisor with more than two decades of experience helping leaders navigate complex public challenges. As the founder of Clarity Engine, he partners with organizations to transform research into actionable intelligence, develop winning strategies, and communicate with confidence during both moments of opportunity and crisis.
Throughout his career, Brandon has advised leaders across the nonprofit, education, state, and federal sectors on public opinion, strategic communications, organizational leadership, and stakeholder engagement. His experience spans everything from designing research that uncovers what people truly think and feel to helping executives respond to high-profile issues where every message shapes public trust.
As Chief Executive Officer of the National Governors Association, Brandon serves as the chief strategist and communications leader for the bipartisan organization representing the nation's governors. He has helped lead the association through some of the country's most visible and politically sensitive moments, advising governors and organizational leadership on issues that have drawn national attention and required thoughtful, strategic communication. His work and leadership have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, POLITICO, and numerous national and local media outlets.
Before leading the National Governors Association, Brandon served as Chief of Staff to Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and previously held executive leadership positions in higher education and the nonprofit sector. These experiences have given him a unique understanding of how leaders make decisions, build trust, and navigate uncertainty across multiple industries.
A respected researcher and thought leader, Brandon is also a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School, where his work focuses on dignity, political leadership, and restoring trust in American institutions. His research explores how leaders can better understand people, communicate across differences, and build stronger relationships with the communities they serve.
At Clarity Engine, Brandon brings together research, strategic communications, message testing, crisis response, and leadership experience to help organizations make better decisions and communicate with clarity when it matters most.