Emotional Resonance Score™
PROOF’s Emotional Resonance Score™ is the most accurate way to measure what you customers and prospects are thinking and feeling.
Since January 2016, the Emotional Resonance Score™ has helped hundreds of organizations answer thousands of strategic questions by measuring the responses of hundreds of thousands of people. It replaces internal assumptions with clear insight into how ideas are actually experienced.
Our Emotional Resonance Score™ methodology is based on three key learnings from psychology, neuroscience and behavioral economics…
Elicitation gets the truth.
The CIA does not ask direct questions when they are trying to get the truth. Neither do we.
Dr. Jack Schafer, an FBI psychologist and special agent, developed an interrogation technique called elicitation. Instead of asking people what they think, elicitation is designed to get people to reveal what they think naturally, without realizing they are being questioned. The insight behind elicitation is simple but powerful. When people know they are being questioned, they filter, rationalize, and protect their identity. When they do not, they speak more honestly.
We apply this same technique in our research. Rather than asking customers to explain their motivations, we design prompts and scenarios that allow their real thoughts, emotions, and priorities to surface on their own. This reduces bias, eliminates performative answers, and reveals the beliefs that actually drive behavior. The result is data that feels less like a survey and more like the truth.
Emotions are what matters.
Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio famously demonstrated that human decision-making is rooted in the limbic system—the brain’s center for emotions, memories, and beliefs. Even in complex scenarios, we rely more on emotion than on logic or reason. Our second component, emotional resonance message testing, is designed to reflect this reality. By focusing on how messages connect emotionally, we ensure our research aligns with the brain’s natural decision-making process, uncovering the emotional triggers that influence real-world choices.
Time is how to measure emotion.
By analyzing the time it takes for respondents to answer, we capture subtle cognitive and emotional responses that other research methods miss. Faster response times relative to the natural reading and answering speed of respondents often indicate instinctive, emotionally charged reactions, while slower times can reveal uncertainty or ambivalence. This granular data enables us to quantify the emotional resonance of messages, providing a deeper understanding of how they are perceived and processed. The result is actionable insights grounded in behavioral science and neuroscience, delivering a clear edge for crafting emotionally compelling communications.
The Resulting PROOF Method
The End Result is an Emotional Resonance Score™ (ERS).
Our Emotional Resonance Scoring is the culmination of three powerful methodologies: psychological scoring that mirrors the brain’s natural decision-making process, emotional resonance message testing to evaluate how your messaging connects with audiences, and a millisecond timing mechanism that measures intuitive reactions in real-time. Together, these methods create a robust, multidimensional understanding of how your messages land emotionally and cognitively. This comprehensive scoring system equips you with the insights needed to craft communications that not only capture attention but also drive meaningful, emotionally charged decisions.
13
Years Measuring People
700+
Studies performed to date
4,500+
Client Questions Answered
300+
Clients
See how the Emotional Resonance Score™ will transform the way you think, speak and market to your customers and prospects. Click below to schedule a demo or get a quote.
Get PROOF.
Everyone has at least one burning question—and the answer may just take your brand to the next level. Take the guesswork out of your marketing strategy today and get proof.