Merger for Dialsmith and Presentation Testing

US survey tech firm Dialsmith has merged with research-based communications consultancy Presentation Testing to form a new business called Engagious, with offices in New York City, Portland, Oregon, and London. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Presentation Testing's work has included advising leaders in Congress and their staff, presidential campaigns, and corporate executives on how to improve their messaging. The new firm, Engagious, will broaden this offer to help clients develop content and messaging for everything from corporate comms and investor presentations to ad effectiveness, product marketing and public policy. Presentation Testing co-founder Rich Thau, who is now President of Engagious, says the new venture will have the technical acumen of its in-house Dialsmith technical team to gather and analyze audience insights through in-person and online dial testing research.

Dialsmith will remain its own distinct group, focusing on delivering dial testing technologies and services to its research clients and partners. David Paul, co-founder and CEO of Dialsmith, and now Engagious CEO, adds: 'When we first started talking about this, we challenged ourselves to come up with ways to bring greater value to our clients than either of our companies have done on their own. My experience is in tools and technologies for learning what people think in the moment, as they think it, before memory bias and groupthink set in. Rich's experience is in using those tools, as well as his years of messaging expertise and intuition, to learn what will resonate with people, and what won't and why; and how to craft and deliver a winning message. In the end, it was a natural fit'.

Web sites: www.dialsmith.com , www.presentationtesting.com and www.engagious.com .