Concept Testing in a New Light
The Power of Emotional Excitement
As with positioning, the power of a really strong new product concept lies not just in its appeal to the consumer's rational intellect, but also in its ability to create a feeling of emotional excitement and the felt "urge" to try the product. Indeed, psychological research on decision-making processes tells us that consumers make decisions to try new products based primarily on emotional reactions to these new products. Rational evaluations (Is this relevant to me? Is it unique? Is it credible?) are "hurdles" that a new product must clear - emotional excitement and the "urge to try" are the "gas" that fuels actual product trial.
Limitations of Current Testing Methods
Virtually all established methodologies for concept testing rest upon a series of rational judgments that consumers make. While uniqueness, believability and purchase interest are still important things to measure about your product concepts, and a rational conclusion that your new product is a good idea is still critical to being interested in the product. The absence of a reliable measure of consumer excitement is a limiting factor for these methods.
Taking the Concept Test to a New Level
To identify those products that will really make a splash in the marketplace, it is necessary to understand the power of an idea to generate real emotional excitement. Our MindSight® concept testing protocol lets you do just that. It leaves you with an understanding of which new product ideas are overall the most exciting - and it identifies what specific type of emotional impact drives that overall excitement - so that you can focus there in your product positioning.