Dialsmith

The Perception Analyzer has grown up a bit over the past 30 years–from a hardwired rheostat dial (1984) to the Model V version we have today. But really, it doesn’t look a day older than 29.

It’s no small feat for a technology to remain relevant for 30 years (just ask your Betamax and Dot Matrix Printer). So, we decided to make a fuss over the three decades in which the Perception Analyzer has continued to be the go-to tool for conducting moment-to-moment dial testing in focus groups and other live research settings. We marked the Perception Analyzer’s Pearl Anniversary with this announcement which includes comments from some recognizable names across the research, entertainment and marketing industries and some interesting factoids that you may not be aware of.

If you’re not really an “announcement person,” here are some highlights for you:

Aboard Air Force One, President Obama watches CNN’s live dial
testing results during the 2012 Vice Presidential debate.
Image courtesy of The White House.

From Stan Greenberg, Chairman and CEO of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner and Co-Founder of Democracy Corps:

“The Perception Analyzer has proven to be one of our most useful polling tools as it has the unique ability to get us into the heads of voters and capture their initial, visceral response to a political message or how that message is being delivered. Over the past 30 years, it’s played an integral role in electing presidents and other political figures and has helped implement key national policies on everything from climate change to the state of the middle class.”

The Perception Analyzer is the core technology behind the ISX Scoring
system used by Street League Skateboarding, X Games and
other action sports and entertainment properties. 

From Rob Dyrdek, Pro Skateboarder, TV Producer and Founder of Street League Skateboarding:

“Without the Perception Analyzer, there would be no ISX Scoring and no Street League Skateboarding. It’s the technological cornerstone driving the real-time scoring and stats that enables Street League’s ‘buzzer beater’ experience, making it like no other competition in the world.”

(Cool fact #1–impress your friends!) In political research and public opinion polling, the Perception Analyzer has been a key contributor to helping elect every U.S. President since Ronald Reagan.

Image courtesy of Showtime Networks, Inc.

(Cool fact #2) In the mid-90’s, the technology was even used by then Russian President Boris Yeltsin to help turn his reelection campaign around as profiled in the movie, “Spinning Boris.”

(Cool fact #3) For more than a decade, the majority of Super Bowl commercials and almost all of the best performing commercials as rated by USA Today’s Ad Meter, have been tested using the Perception Analyzer.

And if you really want to take a walk down memory lane, here are some of the more memorable use cases of the Perception Analyzer from year’s past: TED, Food Network, CNBC, Celebrity Apprentice, VH1’s Tough Love, X Games, and Monster Energy Cup.

Want to hear what Frank Luntz or Alton Brown had to say about the Perception Analyzer or get more amazing Perception Analyzer facts to impress your friends, then read the announcement or join the party by telling us your story.