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SpeakOut.com's "Instant Viewer Response" Makes Opinion Research History at the Political Conventions
Partnership with MSNBC creates the largest-ever focus group

WASHINGTON, D.C. - August 9, 2000 - For SpeakOut.com, the Republican National Convention represented a technological breakthrough in the field of online opinion research.

During George W. Bush's acceptance speech at the Republican convention, SpeakOut.com's patent-pending online research technology – Ntercept^TM – captured demographically cross-tabulated response data on a second-by-second basis from the largest, live online panel ever assembled. Results from the Internet-based survey were used in reporting by MSNBC, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Washington Post and other major news organizations. Over 1,000 respondents participated in the survey during the final evening of the convention, with many providing moment-by-moment input throughout the Bush speech.

Traditional focus groups are typically limited to 20 to 40 respondents who must be brought together at the same time, in a single location, usually after office hours. In contrast, SpeakOut's new Ntercept^TM technology brings the research room to the participant, allowing thousands of participants to be simultaneously interviewed, or interviewed on a delayed basis, at the participant's convenience.

As users respond and react within the focus group, the Ntercept technology aggregates user responses in real time, second-by-second, and provides live analysis of how different demographic groups are reacting, with complete summary information and analysis available as well. In Philadelphia, for example, cross-tabulated data of viewer response to George W. Bush's speech was available on MSNBC.com and SpeakOut.com online even before the Texas Governor left the stage.

"This is not your parents' focus group," said Will Feltus, Director of Polling for SpeakOut.com. "This is the dawn of a new age in interactive media research."

The Internet represents the next revolution in market research platforms. Whereas traditional in-person focus groups and telephone interview surveys are limited in their scope and reach, the Internet – with streaming video and audio and enhanced interactivity – provides faster turnaround and a more cost-effective solution for many types of analysis. While not suitable for all types of research, many projects can be executed successfully using Ntercept^TM technology based on its ability to poll larger groups of participants faster at lower per-participant costs.

Ntercept^TM software allows market research firms, polling companies, advertising agencies, corporate research departments and political campaigns to capture data from larger, more demographically diverse panels than ever before, with greater speed and statistical accuracy. The political world, news media, and sports and entertainment industries are now developing applications for NterceptTM, which is capable of supporting tens of thousands of simultaneous participants.

"Public opinion research has come a long way from those door-to-door, pen-and-clipboard interviews," said Ron Howard, Chairman and CEO of SpeakOut.com. "Telephone surveys were the next step and now the Internet represents the new frontier. Ntercept represents breakthrough opinion research technology which we plan to make the standard for all consumers of opinion research analysis."

About SpeakOut.com

Based in Washington, DC, SpeakOut.com (www.speakout.com) is the leading non-partisan Internet activism Web site and online opinion research company. Launched in February 2000, Speakout.com's primary mission is to enhance the democratic process by enabling citizens to have a direct impact on the decisions that affect their lives. Users enjoy a wide variety of news and information tailored to their interests and activism tools allowing aggregated messaging to a vast array of public officeholders, candidates, business and news executives.

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