How well does your target consumer understand the new product concept you’ve worked so hard to develop…?

PRODUCT CONCEPT CHECKS

Guidance When You Need It In most new product development efforts there is a middle stage at which the broad contours of the product or service have been sketched out, but positioning ideas, the hierarchy of key features and the list of relevant support points may remain up for grabs. At that point, a qualitative product concept check can quickly bring focus to your program.

“RED FLAG” CHECK AT AN EARLY STAGE

Find Out What’s Working and Why A well-executed concept check focuses on the factors that are critical to the success of any new product or service:

  • Clarity of presentation
  • Relevance to the members of the presumed target audience
  • Perceived uniqueness or distinctiveness of benefits and support points
  • Plausibility of the product story: clear “reasons to believe” the claims being made
  • Assessed fit with the parent brand’s heritage, scope and personality
  • Overall appeal
IDENTIFYING THE MOST PROMISING DIRECTIONS

A Quick Check on the Direction A qualitative concept check will immediately highlight any problems with wording, presentation, perceived logical linkages and unintended missteps in the product’s presumed relationship with the consumer.  Potential problems with concept structure, benefit presentation, links with support points or related misperceptions can be detected and quickly corrected.

A qualitative concept check is probably the most cost-effective way of determining whether your new product concept is well-conceived, easily communicated and resonates with the intended target group.  The technique is not designed to “pick the winner” – but it will help you to quickly focus on those approaches that have the best potential going forward.

FLEXIBLE & AFFORDABLE

We’ll Propose a Format that Meets the Challenge Concept checks can be conducted in person or online. If the situation requires, a hybrid qual/quant design can be developed using a larger sample. Regardless of the selected fieldwork method, an array of concepts can be quickly screened for their perceived distinctiveness, plausibility, anticipated effectiveness, personal relevance and appeal.

We have more than 20 years of experience performing new product concept checks in a wide array of categories. We welcome the opportunity to demonstrate how our approach to early concept assessment can strengthen your new product program.

Please contact us for additional information…