PRODUCT TEST/ CONCEPT TEST

1. Objective:

When your business has a new product and wants it to have good feedback from customers at the first time it was launched, Concept test or Product test is one of the effective methods for your business.

Product test/ Concept test plays an important role in market research to evaluate the reaction of potential consumers to a product or service.

With Product test, we need to evaluate the features of the product, give feedback to improve the product, it is the fundamental factor for the businesses, and specifically the marketing department or R&D department understand the insight needs of consumers, make decisions to produce or develop products before launching into the market.

Product test helps businesses reduce risks before launching new products. Furthermore, it also helps to check the current products' position or customer buying trends, etc.

2. Research benefits 

In this method, we can answer 2 main questions:

• Identifying the potential Customer-segment: The main objective of this method is identifying the suitable Customer-segment, getting the highest efficiency when approaching them.

• Finding the advantages and disadvantages of products/ service: Based on the feedback of customers, the business can find out the outstanding points of products/ service. Thus, the business will develop the good points, or overcome the failure, modify according to the general demand of consumers. The results of this research help to remove low-potential products, identify the right messaging, and focus on specific Customer-segment. Thereby, minimizing production and marketing costs but taking optimal efficiency.

3. Content 

When conducting research by Concept test/ Product test, CI Research will design content and develop a questionnaire that includes the following basic contents and often has adjustments depending on the characteristics or ideas of the product and customer's requirements:

• Measure the general perception of consumers about the concept/ product

• Possibility to buy the product

• Liking level of the concept/ product

• Evaluate product features

• Identify alternative and supplements products 

• Advantages of products compared to other current products

• Possibility to use the product in specific situations

• The use of similar or alternative products

• Estimated product value

• Price sensitivity analysis

• Buying the favorite products

• Analyzing customer-segment

4. Application 

When businesses want to develop new products or implement promotional ideas but they are not sure which product or idea will be more effective in the market, businesses often use this Concept test/ Production test method. Businesses in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), food-beverage (F&B), consumer goods, supplement product, OTC products, banking and finance, automobile and some other fields.

5. Method:

After a long time of research and applying Concept/ Product test, there are four main methods and each method will be suitable for different types of research:

• Comparison Testing 

• Monadic Testing 

• Sequential-monadic Testing 

• Proto-monadic Testing 

Comparison Testing

To find out the best product or concept, the Comparison Testing method can be used, respondents are asked questions in the form of ratings or preferences. This is also a necessary and fundamental method that is always used in most of research because the results are clear and easy to understand.

Monadic Testing

This test will focus on in-depth analysis when the customer groups are only approached and tested with one concept. Questions are asked customers related to concept such as likes/dislikes about the product, packaging, price, product impressions, credibility, or the message of concept to understand more clearly respondents' opinions.

Sequential - monadic Testing

This testing is similar to Monadic Testing. However, in this test, customers can evaluate all product concepts instead of individually as in the previous test, the number of product concepts will be random and respondents will also answer the same questions. .

Proto - monadic Testing

Proto-monadic Testing can be considered as a complete method to give the most in-depth customer insights. This research method has two processes:

a. Sequential - monadic Testing

b. Comparison Testing

With this product testing method, respondents will answer about each product concept, then choose the concept that they think is the best. With a set of questions also asked about the product such as general satisfaction level, the likes/dislikes about the product, the level of impression, the level of interest in the product idea, whether it meets the customer's demand or uniqueness of idea brings to the consumer.