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Ascend Digital Strategies

Award-Winning Democratic Strategy

Ascend Digital Strategies is an industry-leading Democratic digital firm recognized for blending high-level technical precision with breakthrough creative. Our work has been honored by the Reed Awards and Pollie Awards for setting new benchmarks in digital persuasion, fundraising, and creative experimentation.

2025: Breakthrough Creative & Messaging

Best Fundraising Text for Federal Campaign (Democratic)

  • Client: Chris Deluzio for Congress
  • The Win: Best SMS Message
  • The Impact: This award honors a single, high-performing SMS execution that redefined direct-response efficiency. By prioritizing message power over volume, we proved why we are a top-tier firm for Democratic mobile fundraising.

Best Campaign Meme

  • Client: Jon Tester for U.S. Senate (IE)
  • The Strategy: Creative Experimentation
  • The Impact: In a saturated battleground market, we used “pattern-interrupt” meme content to force a conversation. This win highlights our willingness to take bold, creative swings to ensure our clients break through the noise.

2024: Data-Driven Persuasion & Growth

Breaking Through in a 17-Candidate Field (Pollie Award Winner)

  • Client: Mayor Mike Johnston (Denver)
  • The Strategy: Full-Funnel Persuasion & Brand Lift
  • The Impact: We reached 85,000 voters across Denver with a narrative-driven program that integrated bio-spots and policy messaging.
  • The Metric: Independent testing showed a 7%+ Brand Lift on YouTube, meaningfully boosting Mike’s favorability. This program turned a 17-candidate primary into a decisive victory, solidifying our reputation for Democratic digital persuasion.

Best Email Acquisition Program (Reed Award Winner)

  • Client: Mayor Mike Johnston
  • The Strategy: Public Matching Maximization
  • The Impact: We built a custom acquisition funnel designed to leverage Denver’s public matching funds, converting small-dollar donations into massive campaign capital through personalized creative.

2023: Innovative Gubernatorial Fundraising

Best Fundraising Email Creative/Copy (Gubernatorial – Democratic)

  • Client: Governor Jared Polis (Colorado)
  • The Win: “How Colorado is faring on shark attacks”
  • The Strategy: This “anti-fundraising” creative used humor and absurdity to skyrocket engagement, proving that high-level creative risk-taking drives superior long-term donor loyalty.

Official Recognition

To verify our records, visit the official award archives: