A supporter profile provides an analysis of whether a candidates support is either lower than average or higher than average with various demographics and answers to issue type questions. This information for all candidates in a race provides strategic information that can be used for candidate positioning, communications and targeting of field operations etc.
Demographics
Typical demographic includes such information as age, gender, education level, income categories, union membership, whether born in Canada or outside, voting by parties at other levels of government, location etc. This helps a campaign understand where to target their resources and where vulnerabilities from other candidates appear in a race.
Issues
Voters have issues that they are concerned about and have opinions about these issues that guide campaigns on the focus of the campaign communications. Voters can be asked about the importance of various issues and also asked specific and detailed opinions on specific issues. The nature of these issues are specific to areas that that that level of government can influence or have control over.
When responses to these issues are cross referenced with voting intentions and demographic questions a more in-depth understanding of the candidate supporters and those of other candidates can establish a more in-depth profile of these supporters and non-supporters as well as those who are still undecided on who they are voting for.