--- title: 5 MR Fundamentals For Superior Product & Concept Testing description: Dino Fire, Director of Marketing Science, shares the essential elements of product testing or concept testing. image: https://120937.hs-sites.com/hubfs/img/Questions_-_HiRes.jpg --- Sep 22, 2011 11:55:00 AM # 5 MR Fundamentals For Superior Product & Concept Testing ![Picture of Dino Fire](https://120937.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/dino.jpg?width=50&name=dino.jpg) [ Dino Fire ](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/author/dino-fire) Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/bid/75341/5-mr-fundamentals-for-superior-product-concept-testing) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/bid/75341/5-mr-fundamentals-for-superior-product-concept-testing) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/bid/75341/5-mr-fundamentals-for-superior-product-concept-testing) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/bid/75341/5-mr-fundamentals-for-superior-product-concept-testing) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/bid/75341/5-mr-fundamentals-for-superior-product-concept-testing) ![5 MR Fundamentals.png](https://120937.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Images_from_Canva/5%20MR%20Fundamentals.png?width=663&name=5%20MR%20Fundamentals.png) Concept testing is nearly always part of a new product launch initiative—an important part, to be sure—but not the end all be all. When done correctly, product or concept testing can provide incredibly helpful insights into what your customers want.  Proper testing can anticipate what customers are likely to purchase, whether it happens to be some version of the new product or the same old one in a new, shiny wrapper.  Concept testing is a foundation that you can build on with the rest of the product development you’re doing. Here are five fundamentals to keep in mind when you next embark on product and concept testing research. **** **1 - Monadic Testing**   If you have 5 new concepts, each respondent in the study should be asked to evaluate only one of them.  There should also be a control concept: typically the current product or a competitor’s version.   When you show a respondent more than one concept, the comparisons become a beauty contest and not a science. Going to market on which product people *like* better is a mistake. The degree to which something is liked is a good metric (also known as hedonic scaling), but that’s only one of the elements that we suggest you measure. Further, by showing the respondent a single concept, you get more precise information about how people are reacting to that specific concept (and can compare this to your control) without introducing any bias or noise associated with subjective comparisons to a sometimes confusing array of choices.   Individual concept performance against the control is a very solid, predictable analysis in a monadic environment.   **2 - Measure Purchase Intent with Caution**   This is pretty much always overstated by respondents.   There are some steps we can take to mitigate this overstatement of purchase intent through a modeling algorithm based on multivariate regression.  You can have some refined purchase intent information, comprising the key metrics used in a concept test, to come up with a predictive composite value.  The highest composite score relative to the control wins.   **3 - Measure the Attributes that Drive Trial**   When a consumer tries something for the first time, it’s not an accident.   Take into account high believability of product claims and its uniqueness. To establish a basis of comparison, use competitor concepts or the existing product on the market as a control.  Pick the design that has the best chance of first-purchase success and, at the same time, alienates the fewest current customers who currently buy the existing product.   **4 - Measure the Appropriate Product Attributes**   Use statements couched in a Likert-scaled phrase like “On a scale of 1 to 7, how much do you agree with the following statements…” The statements should be articulated directly toward the product (e.g. freshness, whether family wants to eat it, brand I trust, good value for the money, etc.).  The proper statements will help differentiate between the concepts and will ultimately drive your marketing message.   **5 - Compare the Data**   Report individual pieces of data for comparison.   Your analysis will be often less about the absolute value of the scores of the products than it is the deltas (differences) between the scores.  Don’t be surprised when the existing product (your control)—which has been in consumers’ consciousness for a much longer period of time than the 10 minutes of this survey—wins; this is very common in concept testing.  We’re looking for the best new concept performance which will approximate that of the control and importantly, outperform competing products. --- ## **Want to learn more?** **Click below to download our free resource on conjoint research and analysis.**  [![10 Conjoint - Email Header.png](https://120937.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Email_Images_from_Canva/10%20Conjoint%20-%20Email%20Header.png?width=576&name=10%20Conjoint%20-%20Email%20Header.png)](https://120937.hs-sites.com/download-10-conjoint-dos-and-donts-for-product-and-marketing-success)   [market research experts](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/market-research-experts), [market research](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/market-research), [concept testing](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/concept-testing), [consumer research](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/consumer-research), [marketing science](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/marketing-science), [purchase intent](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/purchase-intent), [new product development](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/new-product-development), [package testing](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/package-testing), [Dino Fire](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/dino-fire), [marketing research](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/marketing-research) ## Related posts [![](https://120937.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/img/market-study.jpg?height=200&name=market-study.jpg) ](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/bid/154635/3-strategies-to-grow-your-business-and-have-your-cookie-too) [market research](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/market-research), [research panel](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/research-panel), [online panel](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/online-panel), [segmentation](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/segmentation), [concept testing](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/concept-testing), [consumer research](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/consumer-research), [marketing science](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/marketing-science), [Kara Davis](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/kara-davis), [Marketing Insights](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/marketing-insights) ## [3 Strategies to Grow Your Business and Have Your Cookie Too](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/bid/154635/3-strategies-to-grow-your-business-and-have-your-cookie-too) ![Picture of Kara Davis](https://120937.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/file-16653146-jpg/images/karaheadshotaug2012.jpg?width=50&name=karaheadshotaug2012.jpg) [Kara Davis](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/author/kara-davis) Aug 22, 2012 10:52:00 AM The relationship between your business, your research, and your consumers is like an Oreo cookie.... [ Read more ](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/bid/154635/3-strategies-to-grow-your-business-and-have-your-cookie-too) [![](https://120937.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/img/iStock_000037942020_XXXLarge.jpg?height=200&name=iStock_000037942020_XXXLarge.jpg) ](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/bid/117247/how-much-sample-do-i-need) [market research experts](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/market-research-experts), [market research](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/market-research), [marketing science](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/marketing-science), [data analysis for business success](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/data-analysis-for-business-success), [primary research](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/primary-research), [survey](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/survey), [Dino Fire](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/dino-fire), [Marketing Insights](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/marketing-insights) ## [How Much Sample Do I Need?](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/bid/117247/how-much-sample-do-i-need) ![Picture of Dino Fire](https://120937.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/dino.jpg?width=50&name=dino.jpg) [Dino Fire](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/author/dino-fire) Jan 11, 2012 3:03:00 PM We are often asked how much study sample is needed when clients work with us to design a study.... [ Read more ](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/bid/117247/how-much-sample-do-i-need) [![](https://120937.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/img/market-study.jpg?height=200&name=market-study.jpg) ](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/bid/129425/market-research-roi-5-questions-to-make-your-mr-pay-off) [ROI](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/roi), [performance improvement tips](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/performance-improvement-tips), [David Wilson](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/david-wilson), [market research](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/market-research), [Dino Fire](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/dino-fire), [Marketing Insights](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/topic/marketing-insights) ## [Market Research ROI: 5 Questions to Make Your MR Pay Off](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/bid/129425/market-research-roi-5-questions-to-make-your-mr-pay-off) ![Picture of Dino Fire](https://120937.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/dino.jpg?width=50&name=dino.jpg) [Dino Fire](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/author/dino-fire) Mar 14, 2012 9:51:00 AM Sometimes market research (MR) takes literal rocket science, and sometimes it isn’t all that... [ Read more ](https://120937.hs-sites.com/blog/bid/129425/market-research-roi-5-questions-to-make-your-mr-pay-off)