Dialsmith

Once again, as in 2008, the Perception Analyzer^® has been
placed in the national spotlight as live dial focus groups have been featured on CNN,
FOX News, and other networks during the conventions and presidential debates. While
the technology itself has been embraced by networks that choose to prominently
feature it on-air and online time and again, the use of the technology has been
met with mixed feelings by some journalists who have shared their opinions via blog
posts and op-ed pieces.

We at Dialsmith^® welcome feedback as well as a vigorous
dialog about our dial technologies and the methodologies that use them. We’re all
for hearing from all sides of the argument, but in the process, it has become
clear that journalistic standards are not what they used to be.

For instance, the Perception Analyzer is the brand and
registered trademark of our company, Dialsmith. Yet recently, several notable and well-followed websites and publications have
used the brand name improperly with no respect for the trademark or credit to
the company that makes it. So, I’d like to take this opportunity to help set
the record straight.

As previously stated, the Perception Analyzer is
the brand and registered trademark of our company, Dialsmith, LLC, of Portland,
Oregon. Originally developed in the Pacific Northwest 28 years ago, and still 100% made in the USA, the product is
currently used in more than 45 countries around the globe. In addition to CNN,
the Perception Analyzer has been used by and/or featured on MSNBC, FOX News,
CNBC, PBS, MTV, VH1, NBC, ESPN, BBC, The Washington Post, The New York Times,
TED Conferences, and many others. The Perception Analyzer has also been used by
countless organizations, large and small, for TV pilot testing, advertising
research, political and public policy research, litigation research, product
development, corporate events, academic research, and more. It has also been
the catalyst behind the development of three additional Dialsmith products:
Perception Analyzer Online^®, Slidermetrix^®, and
ISX Scoring™.

So, here’s the point. Dialsmith is a relatively small company. We have a global
reach, but in a very niche market. We have worked for years to build products and brands that represent the best of the best in our industry. But when publishers
play fast and loose with trademark and attribution standards, the impact can be significant.
And when a brand is misrepresented, as for instance when it is labeled, “CNN’s
Perception Analyzer,” it’s a big deal because it undermines all the work and
investment Dialsmith has done in building its product brand, differentiating
itself in the market, and developing and protecting our intellectual property.
In some instances, the impropriety is even furthered when the technology and
the methodology are represented incorrectly as one-in-the-same.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a different
or even negative opinion about a way in which one of our technologies is being used.
And there is certainly nothing wrong with expressing that opinion publicly. But
there are ethics and standards around how brand names and protected IP are to
be treated and it hurts companies large and small (like us) when those
standards are ignored.

We’re humbled and gratified every day when many of the
world’s most innovative and respected organizations call on us and it’s our
sincere honor to provide tools and services that help those organizations
become more successful and profitable. We are diligent in our work to respect
the companies and brands we represent. At the same time, we feel it’s important
to also stand up to defend ours when necessary. This is one of those times.

Thanks for reading.