CONCEPT Test.docx

CONCEPT Test.docx

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CONCEPTTest

CONCEPTTESTING

OVERVIEW

Concepttestingshouldbeanimportantpartofthenewproductdevelopmentprocessaswellasforposition/advertisingdevelopment.Itisusuallyoneoftheinitialresearchesconductedtobeginproductoradvertisingdevelopmentwork.

Fornewproductdevelopment,concepttestingisusuallyconductedevenbeforeproductprototypedevelopmentisbegun,Concepttestingprovidesconsumer-basedinputwithrespecttointerestorneed.Newproductideasthatsurvivethisinitialscreeningaretakenintothenextdevelopmentstages.

Forposition/advertisingdevelopment,severalalternateadvertisingstrategiesmaybedevelopedforabrand.Forexample,wemaytesta“health”positioninganda“fun/contemporary”positioningforaproducttodeterminewhichismoresuitableandgeneratesgreaterinterestandappeal.Concepttestingscreenstheseideasformessagecommunication.Directionsforimprovementandalsoprovide.Promisingconceptsarerefinedandprogressedtostoryboardstage.

Butwhatisaconcept?

Whatisbeingtestedandshowntoconsumers?

Inbrief,aconceptisanidea.Itisanideaofanewproductorandideaofanewfeatureoranewuseforanexistingproduct.Consumersarethereforebeingaskedtoreactonanidea.

Qualitativeresearchisoftenafirststepinconceptdevelopment.Giventhatconceptsgenerallymustberefined,thisisanimportantfirststep.Forexample,itissubjectedtoafocusgroupresearch.Oncetheconceptisfullydeveloped,itissubjectedtoafullquantitativetesting.

Quantitativeresearchtechniquesusedinconceptevaluationinclude:

monadicevaluations,pairedcomparisontests（whentestingagainstcompetitiveconcepts）,concept/producttestingtoestablishproductandconceptfit,andconjointanalysis.Thedecisiononwhichtechniquetousedependsontheobjectiveoftheresearchorthestageoftheproduct/advertisingdevelopmentprocess.

WHYDOCONCEPTTESTING

Concepttestingisconductedatvaryingstagesoftheproduct’slifecycle.Concepttestingisanappropriatetechniqueforresearchingnewproductsandexistingproducts.Someapplicationsofconcepttestingare:

A.NewProduct/NewBenefitDevelopment

∙IdeaStage–Concepttestingorconceptscreeningisusedtodetermineproductviabilityandanalyzeitsappealandmarket.Conductedbeforearealprototypeisdeveloped,thisbasicquestionisanswered:

“Howgoodistheidea?

”Theresearchthendetermineswhethertogoontodevelopmentoftheproduct.

Conductingthisresearchearlyonactuallysavesthecompanymoney.Non-viableconceptsareweededout.Companyresourcesarethusdirectedtowardsthemorepromisingproductideas.Besidesscreeningforgoodideas,theresearchisusedtoanalyzetheappealforkeybenefitsandreasonswhy,andtorefinethetargetmarketdefinition.Itisalsousedtorefinetheconcepttoonethatoptimizesthesellingstrategy.

Qualitativeresearch,usuallyfocusgroup,isusedtorefinethepresentationoftheconcept.Quantitativeresearch,usuallymonadicevaluation,isusedtodecidewhichconceptshouldproceedtodevelopmentstage.

∙Concept/ProductAssessment–concept/producttestingisusedtoassessconceptandproductfit.Thisresearchisusuallyconductedwhenanalmostfinalproductformulationhasbeenidentified.

Priortotheconcept/producttests,theoptimizationoftheconceptandtheoptimizationoftheproductoftentakeseparatebutparallelpaths.Theconceptisoptimizedthroughaseriesoftestingandsimultaneously,theproductisoptimizedthroughaseriesofblindproducttesting.

Intheconcept/producttest,theconsumerisshowntheconceptandaskedabouttheproductdescribedbytheconcept.Then,sheisgiventheproducttouseinthehomeforseveraldays.Afterthetestperiod,sheisaskedabouttheproduct’sdeliveryversusexpectationsraisedbytheconcept.

Thetestresultsatthisstagemayleadtoareviewoftheproductformulationtoensurethattheproductmeetstheexpectationsraisedbytheconcept.Ontheotherhand,theresultsmayleadtoareviewofthecommunicationstrategysothatoversellingtheproductisavoided.

∙ImprovedFeature/Benefit–theobjectivesandeventhemechanicsofthistestaresimilartothoseforanewproduct.Theconceptinthistestdescribesthenewfeatureorbenefitoftheexistingproduct.Theevaluationisonproductdeliveryversusconcept,andontheimportanceconsumersattachtothenewfeature.Thistestisusuallyconductedamongusersoftheproduct.

Thismayrequireabrandedtestifthenewfeature/benefitisgoingtobeprominentlyadvertisedorifthereisaconcernonthereactionofthecoreusersofthebrandtothenewfeature/benefit.Asinthenewproductdevelopment,thistestresultsinagoorno-godecisiononthenewbenefit,orinarevisionofthecommunicationstrategyforthebrand.

B.Positioning（Reposition）/AdvertisingDevelopment

∙Positioning（Repositioning）Development–Thistestseekstoassessapositioningforthebrandthatsatisfiesconsumerneedsandestablishesanadvantagefortheproductoveritscompetitors.Thistestresultsintheidentificationofthefeaturesorthepromiseoftheproductthatprovesattractivetoconsumers.

Respondentsareshownalternatewaysofcommunicatingtheproductbenefitsand/ortheproductpersonality.Inthistest,theconceptmayjustbeastatementorphrasedesignedtopositionthebrand,oritmayincludephotographsorillustrationsoftheproduct.Initialconceptscreeningorconceptrefinementisdoneusingqualitativeresearch.Promisingconceptsaresubjectedtomonadicquantitativeresearchbeforebeingadoptedortakentonextstages.

∙AdvertisingDevelopment–anadvertisingconceptinvolvesideasandabstractnotions.Theadvertisingconceptdealswiththatpartoftheadvertisementthatsurroundsaproduct,i.e.moodandtone,imagery,personality.Anadvertisingconceptmusthavecommercialmeaningandrelevance.Itexploredifferentwaysofimpartingtotheconsumersthemessageofthebrand’sbenefitorvalue.Advertisingconcepttestsareoftenexplorationsofdifferentadvertisingapproaches.Resultsareanalysestoassesstheviabilityofanadvertisingplatformorapproach.

IDEA/CONCEPTDEVELOPMENT

Therearemanyeffectivewaystodevelopnewconcepts,including:

∙Internal“brain-storming”sessionsusingcross-functionalteamsofemployees.

∙Useofadvertisingagencypersonnel,especiallycreative.

∙Qualitativeresearchusingrespondentsas“ideagenerators.”

Aconcept,beitforanewproductorforanewpositioning,presentsonemainidea.Multipleideasinaconceptmakeitdifficulttogaugetheconsumers’response.Theconceptshouldalsobekeptshortandsimple.Herearesomegeneralrulestorememberwhenpreparingtheconceptforconsumertesting:

∙Normally,theconceptforanewproductconsistsoftwomajorelements–acleardescriptionoftheproduct,andasellingargumentthatpresentstheproductpersuasively.

∙Aconceptmusttakeaclear,definitestandwithrespecttotheproduct.Itshoulddescribetheproductanditsbenefitsexplicitly.Foradvertisingdevelopment,itshouldstatetheproduct’svalueormessage.

∙Theconceptshouldpresenttheproductasarealthingthatpeoplearebuying.Realismisaddedtotheconceptbypresentingtheproductideawithinacontextthatisfamiliartoconsumers（i.e.includetheproduct’sname/categorydescription,price,whereitissold,varietiesavailable,etc.）.

∙Aconceptisahighlydelicatetool.Thatis,theentireimpressioncreatedbyaconceptstatementcanbecompletelyalteredwithachangeofasinglewordorphrase.Onemustbecarefulinselectingthewordsorphrasestopresenttheproductoritsadvertisingmessage.

∙Conceptscomeindifferentformats:

1）Simpleconceptstatement（“whitecard”concept）–nothingmorethanawrittendescriptionofaproductanditsbenefits.Thisformatiscommonlyusedbecauseitischeaperandeasiertodevelopmutationhasbeenidentified.

2）Conceptstatementwithvisual–sometimes,aproductideacannotbeeffectivelycommunicatedunlesswithadrawing,photographorsomekindofvisual.

3）Conceptstatementwithphysicalprototype–sometimes,theconceptneedsaphysicalmodeloftheproduct.Thiscanbeassimpleascardboardmockup.

4）Handmadepackagesorads.Mostcompaniesdonotgototheexpenseofcreatingapreliminarypackageorprintadunlessearlierresearchsuggeststhattheproductideahavedefiniteconsumerappeal.

RESEARCHDESIGNISSUES

A.Whoshouldparticipateinthesurvey:

thedecisiononwhomtorecruitforaconcepttestdependsontheobjectivesofthetest.

Fortheconceptscreeningtest,wheretheobjectiveistofindthemostpromisingproductconceptorthemostpromisingproductpositioning,thetestisconductedamongacross-sectionoftheintendedtargetaudience.Whenindoubt,recruitamorebroadlydefinedsamplesoasnottoriskexcludingpotentialbuyers.

Foraconcept-productfitassessmenttest,theconcepttestportionisconductedamongtheproduct’stargetmarket.Theproducttestportion,however,mayeitherbeconductedamongthosewhoarenotnegativetowardstheconcept（“acceptors”）oramongthetotalsample.Thetestobjectivesandtheuseoftheresearchresultsdeterminewithwhomtoplacetheproduct.Someillustrationsofwhentotestamongacceptorsandamongacross-sectionare:

ConceptandProducttestacrosstargetaudience:

∙Oneoftheobjectivesoftheresearchistocheckconceptcommunicationversusproductdelivery,i.e.istheconceptoversellingorundersellingtheproduct?

∙SamplingisanactivityplannedbyMarketingtosupportproductlaunchandanindicationoftheeffectofs