Dial Testing Services Powered by Dial Tester

Touchstone Research provides full-service dial testing to capture real-time audience reactions to ads, trailers, messages, and media content. Powered by our proprietary Dial Tester technology, our dial testing services deliver second-by-second insight into engagement and sentiment, helping brands optimize creative performance and make confident decisions.

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Dial Testing Services Powered by Dial Tester

Dial Testing Services & Expertise

Touchstone Research provides end-to-end dial testing services designed to capture moment-to-moment audience reactions to media and messaging. Our experienced research team manages study design, recruitment, fieldwork, and analysis, using proprietary Dial Tester technology to deliver reliable, actionable insight at every second of exposure.

Full-Service Dial Testing: Study design, participant recruitment, fielding, moderation, and analysis handled by experienced researchers.
Real-Time Audience Feedback: Capture second-by-second reactions to ads, trailers, messaging, and long-form content.
Actionable Moment-Level Insight: Identify peaks, drop-offs, and emotional responses to understand what’s working and why.
Segmented Analysis: Compare reactions across demographics, geographies, or custom audience segments.
Iterative Testing Support: Refine creative, pacing, or messaging through repeat dial testing waves as content evolves.

Dial testing services can be delivered as fully managed programs or integrated into broader qualitative and quantitative research initiatives based on your objectives

Dial Testing in Action

See how Touchstone Research conducts dial testing studies using our proprietary Dial Tester technology to capture real-time audience reactions and actionable insight.

How Dial Testing Works

Study design and setup: Touchstone Research works with you to define research objectives, target audiences, content formats, and success criteria before fielding begins.
Participant engagement: Carefully recruited participants experience your content and provide continuous feedback using an intuitive dial or slider interface.
Moment-to-moment data capture: Audience reactions are recorded second by second throughout the viewing or listening experience.
Analysis of key moments: Our research team identifies engagement peaks, drop-offs, and emotional shifts using time-stamped data and visualizations.
Insight-driven optimization: Findings are used to refine pacing, messaging, creative elements, or content structure to improve performance.

For a deeper dive into when to use dial testing, how it works, and how to interpret results, explore our Complete Guide to Dial Testing: Real-Time Feedback for Smarter Content Decisions.

Key Features of the Dial Tester Platform

Dial Tester is Touchstone Research’s proprietary dial testing platform, purpose-built to support rigorous, secure, and engaging dial testing studies. The platform enables real-time feedback capture, flexible study design, and advanced analysis while remaining easy for participants to use across devices and demographics.

Highly Customizable Interface

Adapt branding, scales, labels, and question wording to align with study goals and client needs.

Designed for All Ages

Intuitive, visual interface tested with kids, teens, and adults for reliable participation across audiences.

Secure Content Protection

Safeguard pre-release media with secure hosting and optional integration with Secure Content Testing (SCT)

Dynamic User-Level Watermarking

Apply unique visual and forensic watermarks to deter leaks and trace unauthorized sharing during dial testing studies.

Cross Device Accessibility

Support participation on desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices with responsive design.

Real-Time Visibility

Monitor incoming data and engagement while studies are in progress.

Full Service & DIY Dial Testing Options

Whether you need full-service, end-to-end research support or prefer a DIY dial testing tool, Dial Tester offers flexibility to suit your needs. Compatible with leading quantitative survey tools, online qualitative research and insight community and panel platforms.

Verbatim and Qualitative Context

Capture open-ended comments in parallel with dial data to explain emotional peaks and drop-offs..

Full-Service, Flexible, and DIY Dial Testing Options

Touchstone Research offers multiple ways to run dial testing studies, allowing teams to choose the level of support that best fits their goals, timelines, and internal resources.

Full-Service Dial Testing: Touchstone manages every aspect of the dial testing study, including research design, participant recruitment, fielding, analysis, and reporting. This option is ideal for teams that want expert guidance, rigorous execution, and clear, actionable insight without managing the process internally.
Flexible Dial Testing Support: For teams with internal research capabilities, Touchstone provides targeted support at specific stages of the dial testing process. Clients can engage our team for areas such as study design, recruitment, programming, moderation, or analysis while maintaining hands-on involvement.
DIY Dial Testing: Touchstone offers optional DIY access to the Dial Tester platform for teams that prefer to manage studies directly. Even in DIY engagements, our team provides onboarding, guidance, and ongoing support to ensure studies are executed correctly and insights remain reliable.

Dial Testing Methodologies

Touchstone Research applies dial testing across a range of qualitative, quantitative, and hybrid research designs to support content evaluation and optimization at every stage.

Content Testing

Ad Testing

Focus Groups

Pilot Testing

Product Testing

In-Depth Interviews (IDIs)

Storyboard Research

Message Testing

Insight Communities

Animatics Research

Large-Scale Surveys

And More!

Dial Testing Analytics & Reporting

Touchstone Research turns second-by-second dial testing data into clear, actionable insight through expert analysis and reporting. Our team interprets moment-to-moment reactions, identifies meaningful patterns, and delivers findings that help brands confidently refine creative, messaging, and content performance.

Moment-Level Insight: Identify engagement peaks, emotional responses, and drop-off points across content.
Segmented Analysis: Compare dial testing results by demographic, geographic, or custom audience segments.
Visual Reporting: Use time-based charts and overlays to clearly understand audience reactions at a glance.
Integrated Qualitative Context: Pair dial traces with verbatim comments or follow-up feedback to explain why reactions occur.
Actionable Recommendations: Receive clear guidance on how to optimize pacing, messaging, creative elements, or structure.
Flexible Deliverables: Reporting can be tailored for presentations, dashboards, or internal analytics environments based on client needs.

Why Dial Testing Works Across All Content Types

Touchstone Research applies dial testing across a wide range of media and messaging formats to support creative evaluation and optimization.

Advertising: Tune messaging, pacing, and cutdowns by pinpointing the exact second performance drops or lifts.
Entertainment/Trailers: Identify standout scenes and confusing moments to increase intent to watch.
Political/Advocacy: Track persuasion and trust signals across policy points or debate segments.
Corporate & Education: Improve clarity and retention in trainings, onboarding, and executive communications.
Product/Brand Messaging: Validate resonance of brand narratives and demos before launch.
Mock Juries: Capture moment-to-moment juror reactions to case presentations, witness testimony, and arguments during mock trials.

To see how real-time dial testing improves TV shows, movies, and streaming content, read How Dial Testing Enhances TV Shows and Movies with Real-Time Audience Feedback.

Movies

TV Shows

Dial Testing - Advertisements — Advertisements

Trailers & Promos

Live Events

Animations & Storyboards

Mock Juries

Political Campaigns

Podcasts

Dial Testing - Presentations — Presentations

Dial Testing FAQs

What is dial testing in market research?

Dial testing is a research method that captures continuous, moment-to-moment audience feedback while participants watch or listen to content. Touchstone Research conducts dial testing as a managed service to help brands understand exactly how audiences respond in real time.

How Does Touchstone Research Conduct Dial Testing?

Touchstone manages dial testing studies end to end, including research design, participant recruitment, fielding, analysis, and reporting. Studies are powered by our proprietary Dial Tester technology to ensure reliable, second-by-second insight.

Is Dial Testing Qualitative or Quantitative?

Dial testing is a hybrid method that supports both qualitative and quantitative research. It delivers measurable moment-level metrics while also integrating open-ended feedback or follow-up interviews for deeper context.

What Types of Content Can Be Tested Using Dial Testing?

Dial testing is commonly used to evaluate ads, trailers, promos, messaging, speeches, presentations, and long-form media content across digital, broadcast, and streaming environments.

Do You Offer Full-Service and DIY Dial Testing Options?

Yes. Touchstone offers fully managed dial testing services as well as flexible and supported DIY options using the Dial Tester platform, depending on a client’s needs and internal resources

Can Dial Testing Be Used with Kids and Teens?

Yes. Dial Tester is designed for all ages and has been tested with kids, teens, and adults. Touchstone also brings deep expertise in youth and family market research to ensure age-appropriate study design and execution.

Is Dial Testing Secure for Pre-Release or Confidential Content?

Yes. Dial testing studies can include secure hosting and optional user-level watermarking to protect sensitive content and deter unauthorized sharing.

Do You Offer Global Dial Testing Capabilities?

Yes. Touchstone conducts dial testing across multiple markets and languages, with support for global recruitment, localization, and culturally informed analysis.