Published Apr 28, 2021
Toluna Corporate
Testing: an often anxiety-inducing word with an academic association. However, not all testing involves nerve-wracking exams. Concept testing is a helpful, effective way to ensure that a product or service is ready to launch and will appeal to customers.
Creative concept testing is imperative for brands developing a new product to the public, as it’s all too easy to be convinced that a concept is ready within the walls of your company. Unfortunately, prospective customers may disagree. This is why testing prior to launch can help you perfect your product and prevent losses that occur when big ideas fall flat in the eyes of consumers.
Follow these three steps to conduct a meaningful, efficient concept test on your latest product.
Instead of going through the motions of a concept test seeking results that may look or feel suitable for your brand, ask, “Why do I want to conduct this test, and what are the goals in performing it?”
Some opt to do a concept test without intent because it feels better than doing nothing, but that can waste valuable time and money. Business leaders and marketing professionals already strive to be as intentional with everything they do, and concept testing should be no exception.
Think about which questions you want your concept test to answer. Perhaps these include:
These are just four of the thousands of possible questions you may consider in a concept test. Taking time to create a clear vision of what you want your concept test to uncover will help you strategically design a test with the results and clarity you seek.
Now that you have a clear picture of what you want to get out of your concept test, it’s time to create your test. The first step here is to choose which methodology you want to use, as some testing strategies are better suited for certain situations.
Some standard methodologies include monadic, sequential monadic, and comparative.
Monadic testing allows participants to evaluate one single concept thoroughly. This may include their thoughts about the pricing, appearance, or features of the product. There are dozens of additional factors to evaluate, too.
Sequential monadic testing is the same as monadic, but it involves evaluating more than one product or concept fully.
Comparative testing offers participants the chance to review a selection of concepts and identify which they like best. This provides a clear understanding of the combination of features, designs, and pricing that everyday people see as the most appealing.
When creating a test, it is also important to ensure that you have a sample of diverse respondents that are highly engaged. This allows you to see how different people may respond to your product, rather than relying on only people’s opinions from similar backgrounds. Toluna’s automated concept testing makes the process significantly more manageable.
Now that you have your test results, it’s time to thoroughly analyze the information your surveys and tests produce, to choose the best concept strategy. Review comprehensive data and feedback from individual respondents for a detailed perspective.
Your testing results provide a clear picture of how to adjust your product, making it more engaging and user-friendly. This leads to a better product and hopefully higher profit.
Concept testing is an overwhelming pursuit, especially for business leaders who have never conducted a concept test before. Whether you are a seasoned concept tester or new to the process, you can benefit significantly by investing in a concept testing platform like Toluna.
With real-time qualitative and quantitative insights and a community of over 36 million respondents, you won’t find a more comprehensive testing solution anywhere else.
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