Message Testing

Get accurate and in-the-moment feedback on your brand messaging

Message Testing - market research platform - Rival Technologies
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balsam

What is message testing?

Message testing helps you identify which language, positioning, and value propositions resonate most with your target audience. Whether you're refining headlines, product descriptions, taglines, or call-to-actions, this research ensures your communications are clear, compelling, and conversion-worthy.

It’s critical in industries like Tech, CPG, Retail, Financial Services, Healthcare, and Media where words can make or break a campaign, launch, or brand perception.

Rival provides a message testing research solution that's robust, fast and effective. 

What is message testing?

message testing survey - Rival Technologies

Limits of traditional message testing

  • Reliance on memory-based recall
  • Lack System 1 measures to capture gut reactions
  • Not ongoing or iterative
  • Missing key emotional or contextual drivers

Why use Rival for message testing?

Built specifically for in-the-moment research, the Rival platform delivers fast, actionable insights. 

Instant SMS reach

Get feedback from your audience via SMS notifications and reminders. 

Multimedia feedback

Capture deeper context by triangulating quant data with rich qual inputs and video feedback.

Seamless UX

Superb participant experience increases engagement and quality of responses. 

AI-powered analysis

AI capabilities that support probing, summarization of unstructured data, and more.

Robust reporting

Elevate storytelling with sophisticated reporting tools, dashboards and AI-powered analysis.

Leading companies use Rival for message testing

Message testing case study - Christmas tree communication

Understanding product setup

Balsam Brands uncovered nuances in customers’ setup expectations—helping teams reduce confusion and improve transparency.

Message Testing - Time Out

Combining data with cultural roots

Time Out combines data from their insight community with commentary from experts to deliver richer stories.

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Sustainability messaging for CPG

Conducted a co-creation process for a pet-food manufacturer using a conversational approach, developing and refining sustainability messaging.

Message testing on Rival supports a wide variety of research initiatives, including:

  • Value proposition testing
  • Brand narrative
  • Feature-benefit messaging
  • TV, video & CTV ad testing
  • Influencer or creator messaging
  • Email subject lines
  • Website hero messaging
  • Taglines and creative territories
  • RTBs (reasons to believe)
  • Message hierarchy

Get faster, deeper insights

40%
completion rate within the first hour
800%
richer insights compared to traditional open-ends
65%
recontact rate

FAQs

What business questions can message testing help me answer?

Message testing helps you identify which messages resonate most with your target audience, understand how different value propositions influence perceptions, and optimize creative before launch to reduce risk and maximize impact.

Who are the top research companies that can help me with message testing?

Leading research partners for message testing include platforms like Rival Technologies and leading consultancies like Reach3 Insights and Angus Reid Group. 

These innovative research suppliers combine rigorous methodology and conversational research approaches with fast turnaround. 

What does the participant experience look like in a Rival message testing survey?

Participants engage with realistic messaging stimuli (text, visuals, video) and provide feedback through a mix of rating, ranking, and open-ended response tasks designed to mimic real decision moments.

I want to use Rival for message testing. What service tiers are available?

Rival has a flexible service model that lets you choose the tier that works for your business needs — from DIY or assisted serve to full-service consulting. 

I don’t have a database of participants for message testing. Can Rival help with that?

Yes—Rival can source high-quality, targeted respondents so you get reliable insights from the right audience, even if you don’t have an existing panel.

What is your pricing like for message testing?

Check out our pricing page to learn about our model or reach out to us for more info! 

Useful resources

Holiday-card-Rival-Group

Market Research
Trends 2026

Learn 7 ways insight teams are redefining quality, connection and impact in the age of AI.

Balsam Brands case study

Balsam Brands case study

Used Rival to uncover nuances of the setup expectations, informing clearer and more transparent communication. 

Conversational Research

The Research on Conversational Research

Learn the impact of conversational research on engagement, data quality, richness and depth, and more.

Conversational Research Principles

9 Conversational Research Principles

Learn how leading brands use conversational research to drive business outcomes.

Looking to conduct message testing?

Learn how Rival's conversational research platform can help.