CONCEPT-Test

1CONCEPTTESTINGOVERVIEWConcepttestingshouldbeanimportantpartofthenewproductdevelopmentprocessaswellasforposition/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.2WHYDOCONCEPTTESTINGConcepttestingisconductedatvaryingstagesoftheproduct’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.3Thismayrequireabrandedtestifthenewfeature/benefitisgoingtobeprominentlyadvertisedorifthereisaconcernonthereactionofthecoreusersofthebrandtothenewfeature/benefit.Asinthenewproductdevelopment,thistestresultsinagoorno-godecisiononthenewbenefit,orinarevisionofthecommunicationstrategyforthebrand.B.Positioning(Reposition)/AdvertisingDevelopmentPositioning(Repositioning)Development–Thistestseekstoassessapositioningforthebrandthatsatisfiesconsumerneedsandestablishesanadvantagefortheproductoveritscompetitors.Thistestresultsintheidentificationofthefeaturesorthepromiseoftheproductthatprovesattractivetoconsumers.Respondentsareshownalternatewaysofcommunicatingtheproductbenefitsand/ortheproductpersonality.Inthistest,theconceptmayjustbeastatementorphrasedesignedtopositionthebrand,oritmayincludephotographsorillustrationsoftheproduct.Initialconceptscreeningorconceptrefinementisdoneusingqualitativeresearch.Promisingconceptsaresubjectedtomonadicquantitativeresearchbeforebeingadoptedortakentonextstages.AdvertisingDevelopment–anadvertisingconceptinvolvesideasandabstractnotions.Theadvertisingconceptdealswiththatpartofthead