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February 6, 2018 By Sandy Clear

Video Concepts are Better than Image Concepts – True or False? (Part 1)

These days, there are more and more options when it comes to presenting and evaluating concepts and ideas in consumer research. A common practice is evaluating an idea or concept in an internet survey. But how should the idea be presented to consumers? And with consumers taking surveys on all kinds of devices – mobile phone, laptops, and even some desktops – which way is more effective? Are image concepts still meaningful when compared with video concepts?

We’ve seen many researchers assume video is a better, more effective way to communicate with consumers today. Let’s face it – video is everywhere these days and it’s just “cooler”! However, creating videos for ideas in the early phases of product development can be costly, and even more importantly, can slow down the process. No company can afford that these days. So, we set out to test this premise utilizing our own data base.

In this case, we used an image description and a video description for a product currently on the market.  This was a cleaning product that was relatively new and wasn’t familiar to the consumers who evaluated it in our study. The research itself included anyone who purchased cleaning supplies. The participants represented a wide range of demographics. Some evaluated the idea on their phones, while others used laptops and computers.

The results:

*Both methods – the image and video concepts – were equally effective when consumers were asked to evaluate their interest in purchasing the product described utilizing the standard, 5-point purchase intent question.

Of course, there are likely many valid reasons to use a video concept rather than an image. For example, an idea that is too complex to adequately explain in an image. Or one that requires a 3D-type of image.  But for the most part, this data may suggest that using a video should be the exception and not the rule IF creating a video slows down a project or increases costs. And it goes without saying that this premise should be evaluated annually since the world is changing and evolving so fast these days. This research should also be tested with other types of products to determine the strength of the trend.

Interested in helping us to validate this data utilizing your product?  Please reach out to [email protected] and let’s get to work!

More to come – don’t miss Part 2!  Which group was more likely to purchase the product?

*Based on a t-test evaluation at 95% confidence.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

June 15, 2017 By Sandy Clear

Standardization: The Good and the Bad

Standardization. In theory, it’s a good idea as it relates to consumer research.  It certainly helps with efficiency (we’ll talk about that one another time ?).  Researchers are happy when they can compare the results of several studies because things are done the same way.  That’s fine if you’re testing the very same thing over and over again, and assumes the world around you isn’t in constant change.  But it is.

People change.  Societies change.  Life experiences change us in an instant (Orlando will be forever changed after the Pulse incident).  Product expectations change.  And hopefully, your product offerings are changing too.

The challenge for researchers is to understand when to keep things the same, and when to change.

For the record, I’m an advocate of asking many of these types of questions in the same way to cross-compare – things like overall satisfaction for a service, or overall rating and purchase intent for a product.

However, it may be necessary to change the “internal” ratings when evaluating new product ideas and executions to better reflect consumers’ overall experience.  After all, “new” product ideas indicate that something is different about the product, and “new” survey or research questions should be added to better understand how consumers feel about the differences. Otherwise, you’re comparing things that aren’t comparable- apples to oranges.

Here’s a case in point.  We recently were a part of research where a new product was a preference winner, but an internal ratings loser compared to current product.  What?  How can that be?  This can happen when there isn’t a standardized question being asked that encompasses what consumers experienced.  While the product fell short in terms of some of the standardized questions (and likely needs more development in these areas), it provided consumers with a paradigm shift in other areas.  In this case, the test product had a much greater sensory appeal than consumers realized was possible in this product category.  They wanted to tell us, but couldn’t find the right “standardized” closed-ended question to do so.  Overall rating or preference is all they had.  Thank goodness for open-ended voluntaries!

In summary, when designing a questionnaire for new product evaluation, it’s important to:

    1. Keep standardized “overall” type of questions. They are helpful in cross-comparison and the actual numbers have a significance to those of us with a history using this rating.
    2. Make sure to include some new questions that you believe “zero in” on some of the benefits unique to the product being evaluated.
    3. Don’t forget to include those open-ended questions – they may not be efficient, but they are incredibly useful! Consumers will try to express themselves through the ratings, but if they can’t, the voluntaries are priceless.
    4. A few discussions can shed a lot of light on any confusing data. One-on-one discussions are still the gold standard in my book.  When you’re not clear on what the data means, slowing down and having a relaxed conversation with consumers can clear up most things.

-Sandy Clear, President

Filed Under: Product Insights

December 21, 2016 By Sandy Clear

Defining Your “Who”

shutterstock_313506977Many clients come to us with a rough understanding of who their target consumer is. Oftentimes, we are tasked with finding respondents who meet set criteria, such as earning within a certain range of income, having obtained a level of education, etc. For companies who have not had the benefit of running research on their consumers themselves, the target consumer may be a little more difficult to define.

How can Product Insights help?

shutterstock_173563589We have helped many companies, large and small, help better define who their “Who” is.  We employ many different techniques to help us gather information on the background of the consumers most likely to utilize your products. We’ve done this through internet surveys, habits and practices studies, in-home ethnographies, shop-a-longs and more.

Each type of research affords us a glimpse into the consumer’s life. “Real Life, Real People” is our motto. A visit to a consumer’s home will provide a glimpse into their reality – are they talking the talk and walking the walk? We’ve even asked consumers to snap and upload photos of their pantries, under their bathroom sinks as well as of certain brands that they currently have in their home so that we can confirm and better round out the profile on that particular individual.

Let us assist you with your next recruit!

shutterstock_384774469We’ve been on your end of the research and understand how important it is to have the right consumer in your groups. To that end, we won’t ever just “fill a seat” for your project. We employ many methods that allow us to recruit in unconventional ways to find the right people for your research. We call it our “artisan approach to recruiting”. Because of our problem solving skills, we’ve been awarded and have successfully recruited many difficult, low incidence recruits. We love the challenge!

Please contact us today to discuss how we might be able to assist you.

Filed Under: Product Insights

December 13, 2016 By Sandy Clear

The Goldilocks Principle:

the_three_bears_-_project_gutenberg_etext_17034Many of us are familiar with the story of Goldilocks and the three bears. According to literary reviews, this children’s story makes extensive use of the rule of three, featuring three chairs, three bowls of porridge, three beds, and the three title characters who live in the house.

The story is made up of three sequential happenings – the bears discovering that
someone has been eating from their porridge bowls, sitting in each of their chairs, and finally, lying in each of their beds. These discoveries follow three earlier sequences of Goldilocks tasting from the three bowls of porridge, sitting on the three different chairs, and lying on each of the three beds successively, each time finding the third “just right”. Author Christopher Booker characterizes this as the “dialectical three”, where “the first is wrong in one way, the second in another or opposite way, and only the third, in the middle, is just right.”

At Product Insights, we aim to provide the best possible setting for your research project and have, in effect, created our own “rule of three” in facility offerings. We have a small, cozy viewable focus group room that is ideal for one-on-ones and closer, more intimate conversations. We also have a more traditional, larger focus group room that allows us to seat up to twelve respondents around a table or in a casual family room style seating arrangement. And we have a new room that’s right in the middle!

Our new focus group room and backroom:
FG2, Smaller Focus Group Room
FG2
Backroom 2, Front
Backroom 2, Back

Click the images to view them full-size!

Our latest set of focus group rooms is right in the middle of these two. Designed to accommodate 5-6 respondents around a table or in a comfortable seating arrangement, this newest room allows us the flexibility to provide the type of setting that is just right for your project! Because, let’s face it, Goldilocks was onto something. For each and every situation, there will be one option that seems “just right”.

Contact us today to find out how we can best accommodate your next research project! Whatever your need, we’ll try to find the solution that is “just right” for you.

Here’s to the Goldilocks in all of us!

Filed Under: Product Insights

December 10, 2016 By Sandy Clear

It’s Different When It’s Live

Product Insights is known for seeking out and embracing the latest technologies, and we are proud to offer High Definition video recording and live streaming to our clients.

Live streaming is more popular than ever – and with good reason! Our cameras can capture your focus groups and research interviews live and deliver them to wherever you or your team members may be. The media content can be viewed in real-time (live) or on-demand at a later time to ensure that your team has the opportunity to participate in the research, wherever they may be.

Product Insights’ latest, state of the art, HD live streaming option provides live online transmission of focus groups, interviews, taste tests and consumer interactions from our facility to observers world wide. With the high cost of travel, this option provides an affordable solution for your team to observe and interact with their consumers from their office, home or anywhere they may be – right from their laptop!

Video streaming has become an integral part of market research. Let Product Insights Streaming capture and transmit your important project to team members all over the world! Contact us today to learn more!

Filed Under: Product Insights

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From our Blog…

  • Video Concepts are Better than Image Concepts – True or False? (Part 1)
  • Standardization: The Good and the Bad
  • Defining Your “Who”
  • The Goldilocks Principle:
  • It’s Different When It’s Live

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