6 Reasons to Launch a Consumer Product Test

Did you know? According to a Harvard Business Review study: 95% of new products never truly break through in the market. Very often, there is a gap between what the brand thinks of its product or service and how it is perceived by consumers… Indeed, having a great product or service idea does not guarantee its success! Creating a new product or launching a new concept idea is a long-term effort that requires a lot of resources. That’s why it’s crucial to integrate into your marketing strategy the implementation of concept or usage tests of your products or services with a panel of target consumers. In this article, Trustt gives you 6 good reasons to use product tests with consumers to ensure the commercial success of your concepts.

1- Measure the appreciation of a product or service concept among consumers

Setting up a concept test with a panel of consumers before its market launch is essential, as it allows you to evaluate whether the concept of your product or service appeals to your target consumers or not.

Thus, during the concept test, you will be able to question your consumer panel in detail via a questionnaire or survey to find out:

• If they spontaneously like this new product or service concept or, on the contrary, if they don’t see its value,
• If the product or service in question addresses a real consumer need or a real customer problem,
• If your product or service concept has some design flaws and certain points still need to be improved before the final concept launch on the market.

All this marketing data, whether positive or negative, is essential for the future development of your product or service. It allows you to identify at an early stage the barriers as well as the motivations for its use from the consumer’s point of view.

2- Evaluate the purchase intent of consumers who like your product or service

Good news! Your target audience likes your product or service concept. Be careful, just because your target considers your product or service attractive doesn’t mean they will make a purchase.

During a concept test with consumers who like your new product or service, you can go even further in data collection and ask them about their purchase intentions regarding this specific product or service.

You will thus obtain valuable information on:

• The likelihood that your target consumers will buy your product or service;
• Where these consumers would like to buy your product (physical store, e-commerce site…);
• The price at which consumers are willing to buy your product or service;
• Consumer preferences regarding: design, packaging, composition of your product, etc.

All this marketing data collected through the implementation of concept tests allows you to develop products or services that correspond to real market needs, but also to implement marketing actions adapted to the needs and expectations of your target consumers. In this way, you minimize your risk of failure and avoid losing money by launching products or services for which there is no demand.

Thus, Trustt gives you access to a community of testers composed of 185,000 pre-selected consumers to match your products. All the marketing data you collect through the implementation of your product testing campaigns are centralized in a unique dashboard. The results of your product testing campaigns are easily accessible in just a few clicks: you can consult them whenever you wish and quickly evaluate whether your products appeal to your target audience or not.

3- Determine Which Market Segment Your Product Appeals to Most

Implementing product or service concept testing campaigns will allow you to know more precisely which audience your product or service is likely to have the greatest success with.

Thanks to all the results obtained from surveys and questionnaires of consumers selected for your concept testing campaign, you will be able to refine your targeting.

You will collect valuable marketing data on the profile of your target consumers such as:

• Their age range,
• Their socio-professional category,
• Their expectations and needs,
• Their motivations and barriers,
• Their consumption habits,
• Etc.

Thus, product or service concept testing with a panel of consumers and the analysis of collected marketing data allows you to be certain of launching the right concept in the market, but also to target the right consumers in order to maximize your chances of success and your ROI.

4- Co-create Your Products with Your Consumers

Here is one of the most powerful marketing levers currently: co-creating your products with testers. It responds to a need of current consumers to be more involved in the life of brands. Today, they no longer wish to be merely passive, but want to be asked for their opinion!

Thus, co-creating your products with your target consumers through product testing can prove to be highly interesting in many aspects:

• Creating a product that meets the real needs of the market;
• Differentiating from competing brands;
• Benefiting from increased and free visibility for your product even before its launch;
• Boost your brand awareness by responding to consumer needs;
• Ensure the launch of your product;
• Maximizing your chances of sales and thus profits.

Co-creating your products can be done in different ways. Either through questionnaires and surveys on social media, or through product testing websites, or by setting up an ambassador program on your website.

In the case of an ambassador program, consumers will apply through your website to participate in various product testing campaigns.

Once their registration is validated, testers receive the products to test at home. Thanks to their usage feedback, you will be able to continuously improve the quality of your products.

Note that these testers are not necessarily paid for their contribution. Sending free products may be sufficient.

5- Obtain Qualified Reviews and Win New Consumers

As you know, some of your products or services may be appreciated by consumers without them necessarily wanting to spontaneously express their satisfaction.

However, reviews and recommendations from other consumers are essential to boost the purchase act. Indeed, these customer reviews have the power to reassure and reinforce internet users in their purchase intention.

When you set up a marketing campaign for product testing, you send free samples or test products to a panel of testers that you can select for their influence capacity.

These testers are then invited to leave a complete and honest review on your website, your product pages, and to talk about it on social media to their community.

These detailed and authentic reviews collected during product testing campaigns allow you to:

• Improve your brand image;
• Build customer loyalty;
• Attract new consumers;
• Stand out from the competition;
• Boost your sales and revenue.

6 – Continuously Improve Your Products and Services to Stay Competitive

Regardless of the products or services your company has designed (beauty products, food, wellness, etc.), before launching them on the market, it’s important to know if their quality meets your basic objectives.

Thus, tests conducted with a panel of users before launching your products allow you to identify potential design flaws and correct them to “avoid” a failed launch that could cost you too much money.

Tests launched after your products are on the market allow you to continuously optimize them so that each product perfectly matches the needs of the target market.

Generally, by continuing to focus on the quality of your products, you:

• Develop more efficient and optimized products;
• Stay closely aligned with the needs and expectations of consumers;

Which allows you to:

• Boost customer satisfaction;
• Foster long-term customer loyalty;
• Enhance your brand image;
• Stay competitive;
• Generate sales and increase your turnover.

As you can see, having your products or services tested by consumers throughout their lifecycle is essential! Want to test your products or services? You should know that the SaaS solution developed by Trustt makes your life easier by automating all your testing campaigns!