Product Testing

Hall tests and in-home tests are used to directly expose products or concepts to the consumer for critical evaluation.

Hall Tests - utilise easily accessible town centre venues which offer a controlled and neutral environment, ensuring all respondents evaluate the test product in identical conditions. Respondents are carefully screened and recruited on the street and brought into the venue to undertake the test and complete an interview. This method is very cost effective and can generate over a 100 responses per day depending upon location, target audience and the length and complexity of the test.

Typical this methodology is used to test products for taste, perfume, appearance or texture, usage or packaging, or for assessing advertising or other marketing communications.

In-Home Tests - allow respondents to test products under normal conditions in their own homes. Their experiences are recorded via a self-completion questionnaire, diary or during a face-to-face follow up interview. Products are typically placed with respondents for a week or longer.

These tests may involve purchasing products from the consumer to use in the tests, for example garments which can be cut in half and washed using different detergents for comparison.

In the past we have used in-home placements to evaluate products such as washing-up liquid, powder and liquid detergents, fabric softeners, air fresheners, electric toothbrushes, paper products, chips, snacks and ready made meals.

Quantitative Research

Quantitative research uses carefully structured questionnaires to capture and measure the views of large numbers of respondents. Respondent samples are carefully chosen and controlled to project the results onto a wider population with a high degree of statistical certainty.

In general the larger the numbers of respondents, the more viable analysis by different sub-groups becomes, but in practice sample sizes will vary depending upon budget, timescale and methodology.

We use a number of different methods for collecting quantitative data including:

• Street Interviews
• Exit Interviews
• In-Home Interviews
• On-Line Interviews
• Postal Surveys
• Telephone Surveys
• Staff Completion Audits
• Traffic & Footfall Counts

In close consultation with our clients we will choose the most effective method to produce the best and most telling results for them.

Focus Groups

Focus group discussions involve a small group of 8-12 people who come together and share their views, under the guidance and prompting of the researcher. The sharing can be done either in a central location, or via telephone or the Internet and acts as a ‘brainstorming’ session, generating a wide range of views and reactions,. These sessions represent an opportunity for participants to express ideas, or concerns, in an open forum and can help stimulate different ideas and opinions.

Focus group participants tend to be recruited to match set criteria – for example; heavy users of a particular product or loyal customers of a specific brand, or they may have similar characteristics – such as all being students, business professionals, or working mums.

Discussions generally last around an hour and a half, and are audio-taped, and sometimes videotaped for later analysis. The participants are ‘rewarded’ for their participation - generally with a money incentive.

Data Tabulation, Analysis & Reporting

Once all the research data has been collated it is common practice to tabulate and cross-analyse the information to identify significant trends or patterns in the data.   

The typical output from a project will be a report and presentation covering all the research findings in detail and including these data tables, cross analysis, an executive summary, conclusions and client recommendations.

The best researchers have a background of using research not for its own sake but as an effective guide to drive business decisions and strategy. They see their role as generating the maximum value out of research and delivering pragmatic, action-orientated insights that will be challenging and informative.    

Pricing

The main variables that impact on the price of a market research project are the number of people you wish to talk to and for how long, how accessible they are and how you intend to reach them.

The key factors are:-

• Sample size
• Recruitment criteria
• Research methodology
• Length of interview